Bat of the Future
by AnimeGirl 144
Summary: Kari Wayne is just a normal high school student. Her friend continually tells her how identical she is to Bruce Wayne, and believes she should be the next Batgirl. Will she follow in her ancestors footsteps? Or go her own way? Ch. 20 - Alternate Ending
1. Kari Wayne

Disclaimer: Me: Hi everyone. Here's Chapter One, for my third animated LoSH story. Also, are they going to make a season three?

Title: Bat of the Future

Author: AnimeGirl 144

Chapter 1: Kari Wayne

--

"Kari Wayne!" the middle-aged junior English teacher screeched.

The said girl looked up, her black eyes a bit drowsy from her nap. She brushed her coal black hair out of her eyes to see the teacher.

"Yes Miss Norai?" she asked.

"Is my class boring you?" the teacher asked.

"No, the subject is boring," Kari said. "Why should we care about two people called Romeo and Juliet? Those two happened thousands if not millions of years ago!"

"That doesn't matter, right now I want you awake for the rest of my class, understand?" Ms. Norai asked.

Kari sighed.

"Yes Ms. Norai," she said.

"Good," she said, returning to the rest of the class. "Now class, take out your 922 datapad and preform the assignment after reading it."

The class did as ordered and silently did the work.

--

"Man Kari, why must you get on Miss Norai's bad side all the time?" Kari's friend Lucas asked.

School was out, and the two walked down the sidewalk in New Gotham. The boy Lucas had short pale blue hair that was lightly spikey with rich blue eyes that seemed to hold a lot of knowledge. He wore a plain black light jacket over a light blue Tee shirt and blue jeans with red shoes. Kari shrugged. Her silky black hair was freely at her waist in a ponytail. She wore a black spagetti starp shirt, blue jeans, and white sneakers.

"The subject's so boring! I already know all of it," she complained.

"Yeah, that surprises me," Lucas said. "How can you sleep through the class and still have the _highest_ grades in the_ whole _school?!"

"Correction! I sleep **through** her _lessons_, not the work!" she said.

"Maybe it's in the family blood-line?" he suggested.

"You've met my parents haven't you?"

"No I mean-"

"Don't even go there!" she snapped.

"Sorry, it's just, so few people remember, and you and him have _a lot _in common," Lucas said, knowing to be careful of what he says.

"Oh yes, because he was a boy and I'm a girl. He was man and I am teenager! I can _see_ the _resembelence_!" she said with sarcasm.

"Well, you're both smarter than average. You both are very strong," Lucas countered.

She sighed frustraningly and stopped infront of the Wayne's Enterprise building.

"Well, I'll see you later Lucas," she said, about to walk in.

"Did you already finish your homework?" Lucas asked, crossing his arms like he knew everything.

She looked over her soulder and stuck her tounge out at him before quickly walking into the busy building. As she walked to the elevators, the staff members continuely bugged her by not only saying "How are you today Miss Wayne", they also asked "Do you need anything Miss Wayne?" It was frustrating!

She quickly walked into an empty elevator and sighed as she pressed the number button "30." When the doors opened on the thirtist floor, she walked out and was happily greeted with the sound of silence. Of course, she was going to ruin the silence.

"MOM! DAD! I'M HOME!!" she yelled.

She walked down the hall and into the living area of the building. Her parents thought they would save more money if they made the top of the building their living area. She didn't really mind, since she had a room to herself. She walked by the living room, only to see that they weren't there. Someone else was though.

"Good day Miss Kari," their personal butler, and Kari's friend, said.

"Hey there Alfred," she said.

(Imagine the Alfred from the series The Batman, I'm too lazy to write up a new one, and doesn't it just bring that Batman feeling to the story?)

She walked to her room with Alfred following.

"So, where's mom and pops?" she asked, plopping her backpack near the end of her twin sized bed.

"Your mother and father are on a business meeting on the planet Nuron," Alfred explained. "They told me to tell you that they need you to go to the United Planets meeting tomorrow."

Kari sighed as she layed her back on the bed.

"Do I have to?" she asked.

"I am afraid so," he said. "And they asked me to make you wear this."

He held out a way too formal outfit that she despised.

_"I thought I barried that thing __way__ into my closet,"_ she thought.

Kari sighed and stood up.

"Okay, I'll go, but I'm not wearing _that_," she said, pointing at the outfit in disgust.

She walked into her closet and rumeged through her closet. She found an outfit that she seemed to like. She showed it to Alfred.

"Whatta you think?" she asked.

He sighed.

"Your parent's will not agree towards it," he said.

"Yeah? Well they're the ones forcing me to go! So, if I'm going to go, then I'm going to wear something that_ I _like," she said, examining it again. "Plus, what they don't know won't hurt them."

Alfred sighed as he turned and walked out the door.

"If you say so miss," he said.

--

It was the next day and 10:30 am, and Kari was already bored. It was only thiry minutes into the speech, and Kari felt like she was back at school.

_"And to think, only two more hours to go!" _she bitterly thought, thinking of how to get back at her parents.

She was happy though with her outfit, that even Alfred had to admit was very nice looking. She wore a turquoise shirt with many blue circles that looked like the top half of a kimono, blue sweats with a breathable blue mini skirt over it, and blue dress slippers. Strands of her black hair was pulled back into a small ponytail, it laying against her other hair that was not up in a ponytail.

She sighed outloud, getting a "shh" from the overweight female represenitive from the planet Konshi (made up 'cause I needed it). Kari just slitted her eyes at the woman and glared at her.

_"If I wanted to be shh'd at, I'd just go to Saturday school," _Kari said, rolling her eyes.

Instead of returning her eyes to the President of the United Planets, her eyes verted to the areas around the coloseum that the meeting was being held in. She noticed that there were no Legion of Superhero members to be seen save for Phantom Girl, the President's daughter, and Chameleon Boy, the Earth President's son. All she did see were guards that probably weren't that good at their job.

_"Let's see, one... two... three... four... five... six... and seven," _she counted. _"You'd think with all these important people here they'd have more guards or at least a couple more Legion members."_

Her eyes widened when the sudden explosion in the upper left corner caught her attention. There was confusion, screaming, chaos, and smoke everywhere around her. She looked up to see weird little creatures come down and throwing weird sphere's around the colosseum. The guards around them were hit by the orb attacks. One of the creepy little things came her way, it's hand turning into a claw. She ducked into a fighting stance and did a round house kick, nicly hitting it square in it's face.

She smirked as she watched it fall to the ground unconsiously. The people around her ran off, screaming in chaos.

"Please, can no one keep it together?" she asked outloud.

"Move it kid!" a voice yelled.

"Huh?" she said, turning.

She saw another creature about to hit her, but the one who called to her, swooped down and litterly swepted her off her feet. She looked up to see who saved her and her eyes widened when she saw the symbol across his chest.

"Ba...Batman?" she asked.

She looked up to see the so proclaimed Batman looking forward, but could see that the man was not a young Batman, but a more older Batman. There was an explosion close to them, forcing the grappling hook string to snap and the two fell to the ground, the Batman falling to the ground first with Kari falling on him in the middle of a fire that was in a circle. She got to her knees and looked at the Batman, who was having a hard time breathing.

"You okay old-timer?" she asked.

He shook his head with a grunt, obviously in pain.

"Don't worry," Kari said, "if I get hold of the Legion, they'll take you to a hospital."

She got up and stood ready to attack the creatures that appeared from behind. The Batman tugged at her sweats, making her look quickly. He held up his yellow utility belt.

"Use this," he said in a hoarse tone.

She turned her back.

"Trust me, I won't need it," she said, placing her fists up and getting into a fighting stance. "I just hope these weird creatures know a good doctor."

The little monsters lunged at her. Kari did a series of moves, succesfully getting rid of them without a scratch. She looked in the sky to see Phantom Girl kick one of the creatures in mid-air. Kari whisteled as loud as she could, sucessfully getting Phantom Girl's attention. She waved her hands.

"Hey, this old man needs help!" she called.

Phantom Girl looked at Cham.

"Cham, go get the man, I'll take care of the rest of these creatures," she said.

Cham nodded as he flew down to where Kari and Batman was. Cham looked at Kari with a blush, but she looked annoyed that he wasn't helping Batman. She placed her hands on her hips and snapped one of her fingures.

"Hey! Didn't you hear me? I said, help the old-timer!" she snapped.

"Oh, right!" Cham said, before turning to help Batman.

He picked up the old man and was in awe. Like Superman, Batman was another legend that everyone idealized.

"Whoa, Batman," he awed.

"Would ya get going!" she demanded.

"What about you?" he asked.

"I'll ride from my spacecraft," she said.

Cham nodded and took flight to the sky, momentarily telling Phantom Girl where he was going. Phantom Girl floated down next to Kari, with Kari being only an inch higher than her.

"You sure you don't want me to fly you out off here?" Phantom Girl asked.

"No way! I have to take my spacecraft home, or else my parents will kill me," Kari said.

"Well, okay. Thanks for the help," she said, turning to the emergency crew that just showed up, along with the Science Police.

"No problem," she said, heading to the loading dock, to see that aside from the emergency crew and Science Police, she was the only one here.

She got into her spacecraft and headed home. Wait 'till Alfred heard about this one!

--

"...and then I came back here," Kari said, finishing her explination.

"My dear, you took those creatures all on your own?" he asked.

"Sort of, I did get help from two Legion members and the old timer Batman," Kari said, grabbing a drink.

"Batman?"

"Yep."

Suddenly, a transmission came in from the tv screen in the living room. A doctor from New Gotham's local hospital came onto the screen.

"Miss Wayne, one of our patients here wishes for you to come and speak with them. You may come if you wish," the doctor said, before the transmission ended.

Kari sighed.

"Might aswell go see what's up," she said.

"I'll drive," Alfred said.

Kari agreed and the two walked ot the garage that held the flying vehicles. Minutes later, the vehicle parked in the parking lot as Kari walked into the hospital. She went up to the nurse at the front desk.

"Um, I'm Kari Wayne. A doctor said something about a patient wanting to see me?" Kari said.

"Miss Wayne," the doctor's voice said, stopping the nurse from saying anything.

Kari turned to see the doctor. He motioned for her to follow him.

"This way, the patent is ready to see you," he said as they walked into a random room.

Kari held in a gasp when she saw the the man was the Batman. The doctor walked to the door.

"I'll leave you two alone," he said, closing the door.

When the door was shut, Batman opened one eye to see Kari. She saw his real face, since they took off the mask, and she saw that he did infact have white hair. He motioned with his fingers to come over to him. She obeyed and stood to the right of him.

"Kari Wayne, correct?" he said in a hush hoarse tone.

"Yes sir," she said.

He smirked.

"You're a spitting image of him," he said.

She groaned in annoyence.

"So I've been told," she said.

He chuckled a bit.

"Here, I want to give you this," he said.

He handed her the utlitly belt he had offered her earlier today. She blinked and held it in her hands. She guessed that if she were to wear it, it'd fall off. Batman saw the expression and chuckled, taking the belt.

"Sorry, wrong one," he said. "Here, this one might work better."

He handed her another belt, this one a bit more feminie for her to wear. She blinked.

"Why are you giving me this?" she asked.

"Since the first Batman surfaced, there has always been a number of Batman's throughtout history, I'd hate to think that the legacy would end," the Batman said.

"So because I'm a blood relatice of him, I become the prime person, correct?" she asked.

He nodded.

"Listen carefully," he said, "there must always be a Batman."

"Why?"

"No one knows, there just must," he said.

She sighed.

"So, this is it?" she asked.

"Yes, that fall broke my spine, and the doctors say I've got at least an hour," he said.

"Well, no surprise. It was bound to happen with all the late night duty the Batman's have to do," she joked, getting a chuckle from the dieing Batman.

"Yes, that's true," he said.

"So, do I have to be Batman, er... Batgirl?" she asked.

"No, it is a choice," he said. "Just keep it in mind."

She smiled a bit.

"Okay old-timer, you just get some rest," she said.

He nodded, and closed his eyes, his heart trying to settle. Kari stayed for atleast a minute more, before going walking outside and walking back to the car.

--

"No way! You met Batman!" Lucas cried Monday afterschool.

Kari smacked him in the head.

"Owch!" he yelped, rubbbing his head.

"I swear, I can't tell you anything anymore, can I?" she said in a low tone, avoiding the stares given to her by passer-byers.

"Sorry, it's just, wow! And he even gave you the-"

"I said shut up!" Kari said.

"Okay, well, I just think you should go for it," he said, in a lower tone. "You know, go into the family business as-"

"As Batgirl?" she finished.

"Well yeah!"

"No thanks," she said. "Too boring."

"Wait a minute! You say English is boring, and now being a superhero is?" Lucas asked as the two stopped infront of Wayne's Enterprise.

"One, I wouldn't be a superhero," she said. "And two, yes. Now, I gotta go, see ya."

"Yeah okay, see ya Kari," Lucas said, walking off.

She walked to the elevator and walked to her parent's office to speak with them.

"Mom? Dad, I'm - huh?" she gasped as she saw a man with a laser gun pointed at her parents.

"Why are you here?" her mother asked.

"No reason," the man said, shooting the two in the heart without warning. "Just wanted to make sure that Batman was gone."

"**MOM! DAD!**" she yelled.

The man turned, a little startled. Kari didn't see the face, but she charged at him, her eyes reading that she was ready to kill. The man jumped out of the building, missing her punch. She looked out the window, seeing that she couldn't see him. She growled, but looked at her dead parents with tear-filled eyes. She walked over to them and fell to her knees, freely crying. Alfred heard the screaming and came in, only to gasp at what he saw. He walked over to poor Kari and placed a hand on her shoulder.

"I am so sorry miss," he said.

That night, Kari sat on her bed, looking out her window at the moon. Her eyes still looked ready to kill.

"I'll found whoever did this," she said through clenched teeth, "and make them pay."

She held the yellow belt in her hands.

"I swear it," she said.

To be continued ...

--

Me: Yeah, I finished my first chapter. So, we've met Kari Wayne. Will she take on the "family" name and become the new Batman... er Batgirl? And will she get revenge after the death of her parents? Please continue to read to find out. Please review.


	2. Rise of Batgirl

Disclaimer: Me: Hi everyone. Here's Chapter Two, sorry if the first was a bit... rushed.

Title: Bat of the Future

Author: AnimeGirl 144

Chapter 2: Rise of Batgirl

--

The twilight moon looked over New Gotham as it slept. But, not everyone was sleeping. In downtown New Gotham, two robbers broke into a jewelry store, setting off a silent alarm that they didn't even know. They walked over to the glass counter and looked in to see the priceless jewelery.

"So, do we take them all? Or do we take them _all_?" one said to the other, who grinned and nodded.

"How about, you leave here with nothing," a female voice said from behind.

The two turned on their heels and saw a shadow at the entrance the two made.

"Who are you?" the other, shorter one, demanded.

"I'm your worst nightmare," she said, lunging out and landing a kick in the first one's face.

The taller one that she had just kick fell to the ground with a thud and a grunt. The shorter one looked in surprise at his friend. He turned only to get punched in the face by the female. He fell back aswell. The female smirked, taking out two cuffs and cuffing the two to a nearby poll. She smiked.

"Now stay here boys, and play nice with the police," she said, pushing a small button on a thing that looked identical to that of the iPhone.

She walked to the man-made entrance, and was about to leave, when one of the men looked up.

"Who-who are you?" he asked.

She turned, as the moonlight shone down on her. She wore a gray jumpsuit that clung to her body with black boots, black gloves that matched Batman's gloves, a black cape that went just above her ankles and connected to her mask, the bottom of the cape also mimicking Batman's cape. The mask had a see-through fabric over her eyes, yet it showed the bottom part of the face from the nose down. From the yellow utility belt was a black breathable mini skirt and on the chest was the infamous black bat.

"Ba-Batman?" the same man asked.

"Nope," she said. "My name is Batgirl."

With that said, she took out her grapple gun and shot it. It latched onto a building, and she swung off, just as the Science Police arrived to take the two to jail. Batgirl landed inside an open window and placed the grapple gun in her utility belt. She was about to take off her mask when the light shone on.

"I would have guessed you were out," a familiar voice said.

Batgirl turned quickly and saw Alfred at the doorway. He had a raised eyebrow with his arms crossed. Batgirl sighed as she took off her mask, her black hair coming out of the mask. Kari looked up at Alfred.

"You knew?" she asked.

"History tends to repeat itself," Alfred said.

She sighed.

"Listen, I know you want to find whoever killed your parents, but with your late night crime fighting, you're grades will fall," Alfred said.

She sighed as she walked to her closet and quickly changed into her pj's. She walked over to her bed and sighed.

"Okay Alfred, I'll try to get back before ten," she said, pulling back the covers.

Alfred nodded.

"That sounds reasonable," Alfred said, turning out the lights the minute he saw her eyes close.

--

"Hey Kari, can I ask you something?" Lucas said to her at lunch. "_Now!_"

"Sure," she said, getting up from her table and following Lucas.

They stopped by a tree. He turned quickly and looked at her.

"When were you going to tell me?" he asked.

"Tell you what?" she asked.

"About this!" Lucas said, shoving a newspad in her face.

Kari swatted the pad out of his hands and held it in her hands. Her eyes looked at the pad with annoyence, her left eyebrow twitching.

_"Stupid video cameras," _she thought as she watched the tape that continully showed her, as Batgirl, saying who she was.

She looked up at her friend who was looking at her with eager eyes. She sighed.

"How do you know it's me?" she asked.

"Come on, everything leads up to it!" Lucas said. "The belt matches the belt you showed me that Batman gave you."

She sighed, knowing she didn't give Lucas enough credict for his detective skills.

"You're not going to tell a soul, right?" she asked.

"Of course not! That would throw off the whole Batman feeling!" Lucas said.

"For the last time, I'm not a man, I'm a _girl_," she said in a low tone so no one would hear her. "Making me _Batgirl_!"

"Oh right, sorry," he sheepishly said. "I'm just... It's exciting to think that New Gotham has the Black Knight again."

She glared at him in annoyence.

"Sorry," Lucas said. "I'll get use to it, I swear."

"Whatever, just don't tell anyone or that will be the last time your lips will ever move!" she threatened. "That's a promise!"

"I won't!" Lucas said defensivly, placing his hands up in defense.

"Good," she said.

Silence hung over the two.

"So, does Alfred know?" he asked.

"Alfred knew probably since the day I _became_ Batgirl," she answered.

He chuckled, before his face brightened. She knew that was a bad sign. It meant he had a thought.

"Hey, why not join the Legion!" Lucas said.

"The Legion of Superheroes?" she asked. "Note the name _super_?"

"What about Karate Kid? He doesn't have powers," Lucas countered.

Kari glared at her friend. She didn't have a good come-back.

_"Darn! He's right!" _she thought.

Lucas smirked at her, agrivating her even more. Instead of making him have a bloody nose, she simply turned and stomped off. She heard Lucas's footsteps behind her.

"Are you mad?" he teased.

She growled under her breath, but knew how to handle the situation without a visit to the hospital (and she wasn't going to be the one in it!). She simple continued walking, not acknowledging his question. She could hear him laughing, but she knew he wouldn't be laughing long. He would want answers from her, and if she didn't answer, it would drive him mad.

_"Let's see how long till he cracks,"_ she thought, a wicked smile crossing her lips.

She was right. After school, Lucas pestered her with questions, but she kept her mouth shut, pretending to not even hear him. This at first agrivated him, but he suddenly lost it and began to try and get her to speak to him. She kept quiet until she arrived to the front door of the Wanye Enterprise where she said only these words:

"See ya tomorrow Lucas."

She quickly walked in, the doors sliding behind her. Though the doors quickly closed, she could still hear him whine. She chuckled to herself as she made her way to the elevator. When she arrived on her floor, she walked into her room and placed her bag down before going to the kitchen and grabbing some food. Alfred walked in.

"Hello Miss Kari," he said.

"Hey Alfred," she said. "Any problems?"

"No, the city as been quite quiet," he said.

Kari sighed.

"Darn, I was hoping for some action," she said.

"Need to take your mind off of school?" he asked.

"No, Lucas," she said.

"He found out?" he asked.

"Unfortuanally yes," she said, before grinning, "but I got him back."

Alfred rose an eyebrow.

"Yes, I'm sure you did," he said, before going back to dusting.

She chuckled a bit, knowing he wasn't quite too sure of how to deal with her. She was about to take a bite into her pear, when the Batsignal went off. She inwardly gasped and picked up the iPhone look-a-like (I'm calling it, the BatCom!). She looked over the details and blinked, but none-the-less ran into her room and to her closet. Alfred poked his head in.

"Trouble madame?" he asked.

"Yeah. A weird group called "the Scavengers" is over in East New Gotham, stealing from Wayne Enterprise's warehouses," she said, jumping out of the closet in her Batgirl outfit.

"How are you going to leave the building without being spotted?" he asked.

"I'll think of a way," she said, running to the elevator. "I'll be back in time for dinner!!"

"Good luck," Alfred said, knowing she might need it.

--

"I still can't believe that worked!" she said to herself as she flew her Batmobile in the air to East New Gotham.

She had taken the elevator down, but if someone was to look, she wouldn't be there because of the suction cups on her gloves that allowed her to scale the roof. Thankfully, no one dared look up to see her. She went into her special garage and saw the vehicle she had been working on for a while. It was the Batmobile, that was identical to that of the old Batmobile. She got inside, and took off into the sky, no one really caring.

"Okay, so now I've got to figure out who the Scavengers are, and why they're stealing from the warehouses," she said to herself.

On the moniter, she saw that she was coming upon the warehouses. She looked down, out of the tinted window to see that they already but a hole in the roof of one of the seven warehouses. She groaned and silently landed the mobile in a nearby alley. She jumped out and stealthy ran over to the entrance of the warehouse, to see that they made a larger hole. She rolled her eyes and walked inside to see them, grabbing whatever machinery they could grab.

"Hey boys!" she said, covering her voice to be a bit darker. "Don't you know that mooching off of someone else is wrong!"

The Scavengers growled and shot lasers at her from their wrists. She did cartwheels, dodging all of the lasers. She smirked.

"Nice try boys," she said, taking out her Batarangs and throwing them at the Scavengers, sucessfully hitting most of the lasers.

She smirked, but was taken by surprised when a laser beam went right by her, hitting her left arm and scrapping it. She held it as blood came out. She turned to see even more Scavengers behind her. She looked around, knowing she was surrounded. She stood up and placed her fists up.

"This might be fun," she said to herself.

She was about to charge at them, or dodge if they shot first, when a lightning bolt blasted by, hitting most of the Scavengers. She blinked and looked to see that at the hole in the garage door, were two people, Lightning Lad and Superman. Lightning Lad's hands were charging.

"I thought we got rid of these people a long time ago," Lightning Lad said, a little confusion in his voice. "Huh?"

The two just saw Batgirl.

"Who's that?" Superman asked.

"Don't know," Lightning Lad replied back.

Batgirl looked to see that the Scavengers weren't going to wait for the Legion members to stop talking as two of them shot lasers at the two. Batgirl took out two Batarangs and threw them at the others, hitting them in the head and knocking out some of them.

Superman flew in the sky and punched the laser cannons first, then hitting the owner of the laser's in the face. Lightning Lad threw lightning at them, hitting both the cannons on the wrists and the person. To him, it was a double plus. Batgirl turned to see that a Scavenger was about to hit Lightning Lad in the back.

"Hey, look out!" she said, taking out her Bat-bolas and throwing it at the Scavenger's feet.

Lightning Lad turned to see the Scavenger fall to the ground. Lightning Lad was surprised and looked up to see Batgirl kick the last guy in the face. All three heroes stood around the beaten up Scavengers. Batgirl looked around and sighed.

_"Damn, the clean up crew will not be happy about this,"_ she thought.

"Hey," Superman's voice said, catching her attention.

She turned and watched the two walk up to her.

"Yeah?" she asked.

"Nicly done out there," Superman said, placing his hand out for her to shake.

She blushed on her cheeks, hoping the mask hid it well.

"Um... thanks," she said, shaking hands with him.

"Better contact Brainy and have him call the Science Police," Lightning Lad said.

Superman turned to his teammate and nodded, before looking back at Batgirl.

"You know, we're always looking for new members," he said. "If you want, I can put in a good word for you."

Batgirl placed her hand under her chin in thought.

"Okay, I guess," she said.

"Sounds good," Superman says. "Come by the tower this Saturday, we're having our annual auditions."

Lightning Lad cringed at the word. He hated the auditions more than he hated Imperiex. He suddenly scowled at the thought of the dead villain. Batgirl smirked and nodded, not paying attention to Lightning Lad.

"Okay, I'll try out," she said.

Superman nodded, before turning with Lightning Lad following behind. Batgirl smirked before running to the Batmobile and heading back to her building.

_"I'm sure Lucas will flip when he hears about this," _she thought.

--

"So, are you thinking of joining my dear?" Alfred asked, hanging up the costume in the closet.

"I think so," Kari said as she brushed her hair out.

"Will you tell young master Lucas?" Alfred asked, coming out of the closet.

"He'll probably find out on his own," she answered.

She sighed as she fell back on her bed.

"Something wrong Miss?" Alfred asked.

"_Well_," she said, sitting up quickly. "HowamIsupposetobeintheLegionofSuperheroesandschoolandrunthebusiness_and_beBatgirl?Ijustdon'tseethishappening!"

Alfred looked a bit surprised at how fast she spoke.

"Miss, you really must stop watching those ancient anime shows," he said.

She looked at him with a raised eyebrow.

"Why? They're very enjoyable to watch," she said. "But that's not the point! How am I suppose to balance my life?"

"You are a resourceful young girl, I'm sure you can figure this out," Alfred said.

She sighed as she got under the covers.

"I guess so," she said.

"If you want, I'll help you and give you a plan," Alfred said.

Kari's face brightened.

"Really? What's the plan?" she asked.

"Well, continue what you are doing now, going to school and everything. Go to the auditions, and if you are accepted, we shall tell the school that you are being sent to a private school. Then, for the business, you can opererate it over your computer," Alfred said.

"Okay, sounds good, but what if someone wants to speak with me and I'm not here?" she asked.

"Simple," he said. "Make a robot and camoflogue it to be just like you, and you can program it from your small BatCom. Then, no one will think anything's suspicious."

Kari smiled and hugged Alfred.

"Oh Alfred, it's brilliant!" she said happily.

Alfred chuckled.

"Now now, you need some rest for tomorrow," he said.

"Oh yeah, Lucas will be bugging me I bet," she said.

She yawned and stretched her limbs out before falling into her cushiony bed.

"Night Alfred," she said.

"Good night young miss," he said, turning out the lights as he left.

To be continued ...

--

Me: Yeah, I finished my second chapter. Okay, she's taken on the family name and she's even met two of the Legion members. How will she be able to handle her life, and will Alfred's plan work? Please continue to read to find out. Please review.


	3. The Legion

Disclaimer: Me: Hi everyone. Here's Chapter Three everyone, hope you all like it so far. I was on a cruise just recently and I was hoping to update this fic while I was there, but they had no internet service! So, I was watching Ben 10 one night (for anyone who watches it), and he had this alien that can mulitply. I looked closely, and on his body, is the Brainiac sign! No kidding! Anyways, back to the fic. You guys, can you please tell me if you want ChamxOC, or someone else, otherwise, I'm choosing the couple!

Title: Bat of the Future

Author: AnimeGirl 144

Chapter 3: The Legion

--

Friday came all too soon for Kari. Lucas hadn't been at school since the day he found out she was Batgirl. Was he angry at her? She sighed to herself as she walked inside her first period class, and nearly jumped out of her skin when Lucas jumped out infront of her. She did, however, shriek and fall back. Her pads fell to the ground around her.

"Oops," Lucas said, chuckling nervously. "Sorry Kari."

Kari's eyes slitted as she glared at him. He bent down and quickly picked up the pads and handed it to her. She just took it with a grumble and walked to her seat. Lucas followed after her, continually apologizing. She ignored him as she closed her eyes and leaned on her palm, looking the other way.

"Kari, I really am sorry," he said, his voice sounding very apologetic.

She popped open an eye and looked over at him. He was giving her the sad puppy-dog face. She sighed, rolled her eyes, and turned his way.

"So, what do you want?" she asked.

His eyes hardened, and she knew what he wanted to know. She sighed and looked out the window.

"I'll tell you at lunch," she said.

His smile brightened.

_"I wander if his life would be boring if I wasn't Batgirl,"_ Kari thought, rolling her eyes.

The school day went on, boring the heck out of Kari. The lunch bell rang, and the students ran outside or to the cafeteria to eat. Kari sat on a branch in one of the oak trees near the end of the fence. On the ground, just below her, was Lucas. She took a bite into her apple, before swallowing and looking at him.

"So, what do you want to know today?" she asked.

"I read Wayne's Enterprise's warehouses was attacked," Lucas said, taking out a newspad. "Says here: Superman, Lightning Lad, and Batgirl took down the New Metropolis villains called 'Scavengers.' Details please!"

He said the last part like a young child wanting a lollipop. Kari rolled her eyes as she looked at the leaves, the sun trying to brake through.

"Well, I did beat the Scavengers with the help of Superman and Lightning Lad," Kari said.

"How can you be so nonchalaunt?! You met Superman! S-U-P-E-R-M-A-N," Lucas said, spelling out who she had met.

"Yes, I know," she said.

"So, what else?" he asked.

"What do you mean?" she asked, cursing to herself for Lucas being so nosy.

"There had to be more to it then _that_!" he spat out.

She rolled her eyes.

_"Here it goes,"_ she thought.

"Well, Superman said that I can try out for the Legion tomorrow," Kari said, looking the other way.

She could hear Lucas gaping, which made her hold in a chuckle.

_"Well, it's better than him exploding and screaming out that I can try out for the Legion,"_ she thought. _"That would make everything much __much__ worse."_

When she looked over at her male friend, she saw that his mouth was dropped.

"Are you going to try out?!" he asked, his voice saying "If you don't then let me talk you into it."

She rolled her eyes.

"I said I'd give it a try," she said.

"That's so cool!" he exclaimed.

Kari sent a glare at him when she felt the other student's eyes on them.

"_Shut it_!" she hissed through her gritted teeth.

"Right, sorry," he whispered, rubbing the back of his head.

Kari jumped from her branch and stood next to him.

"So, what will happen if you become a Legion member?" Lucas asked.

"Well, Alfred told me a plan to use if I do become a Legionnaire," Kari said.

"What is it?" he asked.

She took in a deep breath and explained the plan to him. His eyes widened, but then drooped sadly.

"You mean, you won't be coming to school?" he asked.

"Only if I'm accepted as a Legionnaire," Kari said, trying to comfort her friend.

He sighed, then brightened quickly.

"Well, I hope you make it as a Legionnaire!" Lucas said.

Kari rolled her eyes.

_"I'd hate to see how'd he act at my funeral,"_ she thought.

"Yeah, whatever," Kari said.

The bell rang, and the students returned to their classes.

--

Saturday afternoon came around and Kari found herself as Batgirl in the flying Batmobile. She was flying over New Metropolis, and looked at the Legion tower. Butterflies began to flutter in her stomach. She shook her head, and mentally scolded herself for getting so nervous.

_"Take a deep breath,"_ she did as she thought, _"and land close to the tower without crashing into it."_

She landed her Batmobile and got out. She walked inside the building, only to be greeted by some other super powered heroes and the famous green android Brainiac 5, who was registering everyone. She took in a deep breath and made her way through. Brainiac 5 didn't even look up as he handed her a pad and told her to fill it out. She rolled her eyes as she quickly filled it out and handed it back.

Brainy didn't even give it a look as he placed it in the pile and walked off, into the audition room. She glared at him as he walked off, but the sound of another organism's voice snapped her out of her glare as her eyes looked over at some auditioners that were gloating on how they'll get into the Legion in no time. She rolled her eyes.

_"Right, he probably has the power of gloating," _she thought. _"That's going to make the villains want to kill themselves."_

"Hey you!" a male voice called.

Batgirl turned and looked at the same group that had the gloating auditioner. And speak of that person, he was the one who called her. He had a smug smile on, making her hold back her energy to slap the smile off of his face. Instead, she gave him an icly glare through her mask.

"What do you want creep?" she asked, her voice darkening.

"You a wannabe or something? This is auditions for _heroes_," he said, getting chuckles from the group around him.

She smiled smugly.

"Really? From the way you dress and act, I thought this was the circus," she said. "I just assumed you were the star."

This insult was rewarded with laughter from the others. The person fumed at her. She only continued to smirk at him. She shrugged with a sigh.

"Well, as much fun as it was, it's not right to make fun of a clown," she said.

"Oh yeah? What's your power? Insult the person till they give?" he snapped.

"What's yours? Annoy them to the point where they'll kill themselves, or are you just so arrogant that the villains don't even fight you?" she snapped back.

He growled. He flamed up and she rose an eyebrow.

"Oh, I'm so scared," she said. "What's your name? The Human Torch?"

"He's my ancestor," the boy said.

Batgirl shook her head in shame.

"Such a great hero, yet you've shamed the name," she said, keeping her composture.

He growled and shot a fireball at her. She quickly ducked, it nearly hit Bouncing Boy in the head, but he swerved to the side quickly. He sighed as the boy flamed down.

"Okay, if you children can't stop fighting in the room then I can't let you all play together," Bouncing Boy said, reseving a few nervous chuckles and an annoyed groan from Batgirl.

Bouncing Boy began to explain how the auditions would work and gave everyone words of confidence, which most blew off. After explaining everything, he looked at one of the pads.

"Okay, Strecthy?" he called.

The said person walked over to her and walked inside. This went on with different people walking in to audition, some returning out of the room with confident smiles, others with sorrowful faces. Batgirl leaned against the wall and looked around the room. It was empty. She was the last one with the fire idiot (he called himself Hot Fire) inside before her.

_"To bad the idiot doesn't know that they already have a fire person,"_ she thought.

The door slid open as Hot Fire walked out with a smug look. He walked past her with the look becoming even smugger. She rolled her eyes as she stuck her tounge out at him. She stood up and walked to the door that was closed. She sighed and took in a deep breath.

_"Hope everything goes well,"_ she thought.

Inside the room, the ones judging the auditions were from left to right: Lightning Lad (who was ready to rip his hair out), Superman (trying to stop Lightning Lad from the hair out), Brainiac 5 (looking very uninterested in the fact that Lightning Lad was going to rip his hair out), Timber Wolf, Cosmic Boy, Bouncing Boy (chatting away with Cham, telling him a joke), and Chameleon Boy (laughing at the joke).

"So who's left?" Timber Wolf asked.

"A person called 'Batgirl'," Brainy said, reading the last pad that was now in his left hand.

Superman and Lightning Lad looked at each other.

"Wait, isn't she the same Batgirl you two talked about?" Cham asked.

"I hope so," Superman said.

"Not unless there's another Batgirl," Bouncing Boy said.

"Says here she doesn't have any powers," Cosmic Boy said, unsurence in his voice.

"That never stopped us from allowing Karate Kid into the Legion," Cham said.

"Let's give her a chance," Bouncing Boy said. "Even though she doesn't have any superpowers, she has been taking care of New Gotham, on her own. Crime went down since she's been there."

Cosmic Boy sighed, "Okay, let's give her a shot."

The door infront of Batgirl slid open quickly, almost making Batgirl jump back in fright. She sighed and looked into the room. She took a step into the room and took a deep breath.

_"This should be fun,"_ she thought.

She fully walked in, and all fear or nervousness was hidden deep inside her body. All she showed was confidence, and she was gratefull that they couldn't see her eyes. She stood proud as she looked at them. She was relieved to see Lightning Lad and Superman, a bit surprised that she saw Cham, and terrified when she saw Cosmic Boy's wondering eyes.

"So, you call yourself Batgirl?" Cosmic Boy asked.

She nodded.

"Yes sir," she said.

"Says you don't have any powers," Cosmic Boy said.

"Nope," Batgirl said. "I've replaced powers with weapons."

"Weapons?" Timber Wolf asked.

"Yep, I made them myself," she said.

"Can you do phsyical combat?" Bouncing Boy asked.

"Sure can," she said. "I've trained with some of the best material artists on this planet."

"Can you give us an example of your weapons in combat?" Cosmic Boy asked.

"Of course," she said, her confidence returning.

Before Superman even got up to go against her, Cham jumped from his seat infront of her.

"You ready?" he asked.

She smirked as she got into a fighting stance.

"Ready when you are," she said.

He changed into an ape-like creature and tried punching Batgirl, but she quickly dodged it to the side and threw three exploding Batarangs at him. Smoke appeared around the two fighters, the clouds covering them on the audition field. The clouds thickened, making the spectators not being able to see a thing.

"Impressive," Brainy said.

Cham turned back into his alien form and coughed a bit. He tried to see, but Batgirl had jumped up and did a smashing heel kick, connecting to his shoulder. He stepped back and held the hurt shoulder. He transformed into a T-Rex creature. He tried to hit her with his tail, but she jumped and landed on his tail.

She ran up his tail till she came to his chest and took out a small round device that was flat at the bottom. She planted it on his chest and jumped back a bit, landing on her feet on the ground. She looked up to see an electric shock go through his body, and force him to change into his humanoid form. She walked over to him and had one of her feet on his chest, holding him down as the smoke cleared.

She smirked.

"I win," she said.

He was still surprised as well as the other Legionnaires. She removed her foot after a minute or so, and bent down, helping Cham up. Cosmic Boy stood up.

"Batgirl," he said.

She looked quickly. He nodded towards her.

"We need to speak about something, will you excuse us?" he asked.

She shrugged.

"It's your place," she reminded.

He nodded as the other filed out. Cham looked at her sheepishly.

"Well, I...uh... better follow," he said.

She shrugged and walked out into the waiting room.

"Well?" Superman asked.

"Well, she is very good in combat, and her weapons are highly useful," Cosmic Boy said.

"And she seemed to know how to take me down," Cham said.

"What do you mean?" Bouncing Boy asked.

"Well, she used some weird device that reverited me back from my changed form," Cham said.

"How'd she know?" Timber Wolf asked.

"We'll ask her that later," Brainy said. "Right now, we need to know whether she will become a Legionnaire or not."

Cosmic Boy looked at the ground in thought. Batgirl leaned against the wall, waiting for the verdict. She pulled out her BatCom, checking to see if while she was waiting if there were any problems in New Gotham. She was cut short by the sounds of footsteps walking over to her. She placed her BatCom away and looked over to see the seven Legionnaries walk over to her, Cosmic Boy infront of the group.

"Batgirl..."

To be continued ...

--

Me: Yeah, I finished my third chapter. How's it so far? What's the verdict? If she's accepted into the Legion, will Alfred's plan work? Please continue to read to find out. Please review.


	4. Settling In

Disclaimer: Me: Hi everyone. Here's Chapter Four everyone.

Title: Bat of the Future

Author: AnimeGirl 144

Chapter 4: Settling In

--

Batgirl stood up straight as she looked at Cosmic Boy straight in the eye, who took in a deep breath, then smiled, which looked like a smirk.

"...welcome to the Legion of Superheroes," he said.

Batgirl gasped inwardly as her eyes widened a bit. She was actually _in!_

_"Wait till Lucas hears about this,"_ she thought.

She nodded, as the others in return smirked and nodded. Cham walked over with the ring and instead of the belt, it was the circle with the Legion symbol on it. She took the two and placed it on. She then looked at them, and did the ignitation. (To long for me to right... and I _sort of _forgot how it went. ') Once all of that was over, she turned on her heels.

"Where are you going?" Brainy's voice asked.

She looked over her shoulder at them.

"Have to go take care of something," she said.

Brainy nodded.

"Alright, but when you return, we have questions to ask you," he said.

Batgirl nodded her head as she headed outside. She got into the Batmobile and headed back to Wayne's Enterprise. The elevator opened up on the thirtest floor and she walked out of it. There, waiting to greet her was, Alfred. Though he was acting calm, she could tell he was anxious to know about everything.

"Well, how did it go?" he asked.

She smiled, "I'm in."

He smiled at her.

"That's wonderful miss," he said, following her as she walked into her room to pack. "Will you tell Master Lucas?"

She looked back at him over her shoulder.

"Sure I will," she said. "When I see him again. But we'll need to put the plan into place."

He nodded as he walked over to a pad that was against the wall. He pressed a few things on the pad and the wall next to it opened straight up. Out of it walked a nice, shiney robot. Kari looked over at it and chuckled a bit.

"I hope that isn't suppose to be me, otherwise, my secret identity will be blown," she chuckled.

Alfred chuckled aswell.

"No, it's not. Just wait and you'll see madame," Alfred said.

He took out a device identical to Kari's BatCom. He pressed something on it, and the robot suddenly looked like Kari. The fake Kari blinked and looked at Alfred. She smiled at him.

"Hello Alfred," she said.

"Hello Miss Kari," Alfred said, smiling.

Kari rolled her eyes with a smile and a small chuckle as she finished packing. She sighed and looked at Alfred, who was giving the fake Kari instructions.

"Well Alfred, I need to get going," she said, walking to the entrance of her room. "I'll keep in touch."

"Good luck Miss Kari," he said.

She placed on her mask as she ran off. She opened a window and hopped into the Batmobile. It took off and headed back to the Legion tower. When she arrived, she parked it next to the tower in a dark area, out of anyone's sight. She walked into the tower and was met by Cham. He looked and smiled.

"Hey there Batgirl," he said.

She wove a hand.

"Hey there," she said.

"Brainy said he wanted to see you," Cham said.

"Can you show me where he is?" she asked.

"Uh... sure, this way," he said, a light pink blush appearing on his cheeks.

Batgirl followed Cham through the tower before arriving to his work office. Brainy was just about to walk out when he saw the two.

"Oh, there you are. I need to run some tests," he said. "But before that, I need to ask you a question Batgirl."

"What kind of question?" she asked, raising an eyebrow at him.

"Cham told us that you used some kind of device to revert his power," Brainy said.

"Oh, that," she said. "Well you see, I kind of saw what powers he had over the internet."

Chameleon Boy's eyes widened when he heard Batgirl say what she said. Brainy's eyes slitted. Cham almost shrunk behind Batgirl.

"What do you mean?" he asked icly.

"I found everything out over the Legion of Superheroes homepage," she said, making it sound like not a big deal.

Brainy's eyes widened for a bit before he looked over at Cham with his arms in slits.

"Cham," he said deathly.

Cham rubbed the back of his neck sheepishly.

"What's up Brainy?" he asked.

"Did you put up a homepage of the _LEGION?!_" Brainy yelled.

Cham chuckled as he backed up, placing his hands up in defense.

"Well, we thought it would be a great idea," Cham nervously said.

"We?? There's a _**we?!**_"he demanded.

"Um.. yes," Cham said, Batgirl laughing in the background.

_"Darn, and me with no popcorn,"_ she thought, holding the sides so they wouldn't burst.

"Who helped you with this?" Brainy demanded.

"Me, Lightning Lad, Bouncing Boy, and Triplicate Girl," Cham answered.

"How did you aquire enough information for Batgirl to find out how to reverse your power?" Brainy asked.

"Ummm..." Cham said, stalling.

Brainy's eyes widened before his eyes slitted into a glare.

"You didn't," he said, his voice so deathly, you thought you were talking to death itself.

Cham didn't reply.

"You got into COMPUTO?!" Brainy yelled.

Cham rubbed the back of his neck and tried to get out of the range of Brainy's wrath.

"Okay Brainy, are we going to do these _tests_ or what?" Batgirl broke in, saving Cham.

Brainy looked over at her and sighed with a nod. He gave Cham a warning shot before allowing Batgirl into his office. She walked in and heard the door slide close behind her. He walked ahead of her.

"Lay on the bed please," he said.

She walked over and laid on her back as weird futuristic stuff flew around her head. It was like a futuristic catscan. (Sorry if it's a bad explination. If you've seen the episode Fear Factory, when Brainy's on the medbed (rhymes! ) that thing spinning over his head is what is spinning over her head)

"So, what are you testing for?" she asked.

"I'm just testing something," Brainy said, looking at the scans.

"Fine," she sighed, "but if I'm under here for more than two minutes I'm going to bop you in the head."

Brainy scoffed at the threat and continued to read the results. She knew it wouldn't work, but she had to at least try and show Brainy she was tougher than she looked. When the test was finished, the spinning numerical things stopped and she was allowed to get up.

"So, what's the result doc?" she teased.

He glared at her, before smiling with a smug smile.

"Nothing's wrong, Kari," he said with a smug look.

Her eyes widened.

"How did-?"

"I tested your brain waves, and found everything about your person," he answered, knowing he got her.

She growled.

"You're not going to tell anyone, right?" she asked.

"Yes, but they will need to know who they're trusting," he said.

"They'll know when I know who _I'm _trusting," she answered.

She turned and walked out of the room, forgetting about asking Brainy what he was testing about. Brainy, however, looked back at the results. His eyes looked a bit confused.

_"How could this be?"_ he thought.

--

Batgirl walked into the kitchen to see Cham, Lightning Lad, and Phantom Girl. Phantom Girl and Cham looked over with a smile.

"Hey there Batgirl," Phantom Girl said.

"Hey," she replied.

"Hey Batgirl, thanks for saving me from Brainy's wrath," Cham said to her.

She smirked and nodded at him.

"No problem," she said.

"Wait, why was Brainy so mad?" Lightning Lad asked.

Cham laughed nervously, which made Lightning Lad loose all color.

"You mean he-"

"Yes, he did!" Brainy's voice snapped in the room.

Cham and Lightning Lad looked over at Brainy. Behind the young android was Cosmic Boy and Saturn Girl, both looking mad.

"Lightning Lad, Cham, we need to talk," Cosmic Boy said. "_Now!_"

The two got up and followed the three out of the room.

"What do you think is going to happen to the two?" Batgirl asked.

"Nothing good," Phantom Girl answered.

"**YOU BROKE INTO COMPUTO JUST SO YOU COULD PLACE THE LEGIONS INFORMATION ON THE **_**INTERNET**_**!!**" Brainy screeched.

The four that had done the bad thing cringed at how angry Brainy was.

"How did you brake in?" Timber Wolf asked, his arms crossed.

"We were able to crack the code and get in," Bouncing Boy said.

Brainy's eyes slitted.

"Only a tenth level intellegence to a twelvth level intellegence like mine could brake into COMPUTO, and I'm the only one here who could do it!" Brainy said, calling their lie.

Lightning Lad cringed.

"We may have, taken your arm and scaned it so we could get in," Cham said.

Brainy looked ready to blow.

"You did _**WHAT?!**_" he yelled, nearly making the whole room shake. "_YOU_ guys were the ones who stole my _arm!?_"

The four cringed. Superman placed a hand on Brainy's shoulder.

"Calm down Brainy," he said. "You did say you wanted to tell us something important."

Brainy sent a glare at the four before looking at the others.

"Well, I was testing Batgirl's mind and saw something highly unusual," Brainy said.

"So what's so unusual about it?" Saturn Girl asked.

"A normal organism's level of intellect is from 6 to 8," Brainy said.

"So?" Timber Wolf asked.

"Batgirl's level of intellect is 10," Brainy said. "That's not normal."

"So, she's smarter than..."

"The average human shuld be."

"So, what's this mean to us?" Lightning Lad asked.

"Well, I remember hearing that the original Batman was super smart because he was a detective, which means maybe she'll be able to be a super cool detective," Chameleon Boy said.

He waited for someone to say "Bad idea Cham", but was surprised when Cosmic Boy smiled.

"You're right," he said. "She may be able to be like a spy for us."

The others nodded.

"Now, you four," Brainy said, turning back to them, "**GET RID OF THE LEGION INTERNET HOMEPAGE NOW!!**"

--

Batgirl stood out the window, and looked over her new home. But, in the far distance she saw her old home, New Gotham. She picked up her BatCom and checked for any problems. Nothing. She sighed and placed it back in her ulitly belt.

"Uh... hey," a voice from behind said.

Batgirl turned, and saw Cham. He looked nervous, a small blush on his cheeks. She smiled at him.

"Hey Cham," she said.

"I was just walking by and wanted to see if you were doing okay in your new room." Cham said.

She smiled, before looking back at her old home.

"I'm okay, though," she said, "I still miss my old home."

"I know how you feel," Cham said, thinking of his home planet.

She looked back at him and smiled.

"You know, you remind me of a friend of mine," she said.

"Really?" Cham said, his voice perking up a bit.

She nodded.

"Yeah, he and I have been friends for a while," she said.

"Sounds cool," he said. "What's his name?"

"Lucas," she said, looking back at New Gotham. "I wander how he's doing?"

Cham shrugged.

"Did you tell him you'd audition?" he asked.

Batgirl smiled sheepishly back at him.

"Well, he sort of found out all on his own," she said. "He's the one who talked me into it actually."

Cham grinned a bit.

"Well, I'm glad he did," Cham said.

Batgirl blinked and looked at him, a hint of pink on her cheeks. Cham blushed a bit and he quickly got up.

"Well... uh... you're probably tired so I'm going to let you get to sleep," he said, "Bye!"

He ran out of her room at quick speed. Batgirl pulled her mask back, returning to Kari, and smiled a bit.

_"Speaking of Lucas, I should tell him about getting into the Legion,"_ she thought, changing into her pajamas.

She shrugged.

"Oh well, I'll just let him know Monday," she said as she got into her bed.

She stretched her limbs with a yawn and fell asleep as the lights were turned off. The moon shone in from her window, protecting her with it's lunar rays. Outside a bat flew by her window, flying it's way into New Gotham.

To be continued ...

--

Me: Yeah, I finished my fourth chapter. Will Kari tell Lucas? Or will she just allow him to find out on his own? Please continue to read to find out. Please review.


	5. Birdies in the Shadows

Disclaimer: Me: Hi everyone. Here's Chapter Five everyone.

Title: Bat of the Future

Author: AnimeGirl 144

Chapter 5: Birdies in the Shadows

--

Kari, as Batgirl, sat in the lounge room Monday afternoon reading a book when the sound of knocking interrupted her. She placed her book down with a sigh and walked out of the room. She walked down the hall and came to the front door. She pressed a button and the door slid open. Her eyes widened when she saw who was there.

"L...Lucas?" she asked.

"Kari!" Lucas cried, hugging his childhood friend.

Batgirl blushed in embarrasment, before sighing.

"Lucas, don't call me that!" she said. "Now get off me and pull yourself together!"

He blushed in embarrasment and quickly released his grip on his friend.

"Oops, sorry Ka... er-Batgirl!" Lucas said. "It's just, I didn't see you at school so I guessed that you made it through the auditions."

She sighed.

"Batgirl," Cosmic Boy said from behind.

Both Lucas and Batgirl looked over at him.

"Who's this... guest?" he asked.

"Cosmic Boy, this is my friend Lucas," she said, looking back at her friend.

Lucas wasn't there. She blinked and looked over to see that Lucas was enthuseastically shaking Cosmic Boy's hand. Cosmic Boy was a bit surprised.

"It's a pleasure to meet the one and only Cosmic Boy!!" Lucas exclaimed, continually shaking his hand.

Batgirl held in a chuckle as she watched Cosmic Boy not know what to do.

"Um... same here," he said.

Lucas finally released his hands from Cosmic Boy.

"Man, the guys will never believe it when I tell them I met _the_ Cosmic Boy!" Lucas said.

Batgirl's eyes slitted at him. Cosmic Boy was about to say something, but Batgirl cut in.

"You're not going to tell _anybody_ about this Lucas," Batgirl said.

"Why not?" he asked, almost whining.

"_Because_, if you tell them, questions will be raised and they'll question why you came here, who you came to see, and if you tell them you came to see _me_ than things will rise, and my secret identity might be discovered!" Batgirl snapped, hoping her tone of voice would make him realize that she wasn't joking.

Lucas blushed and rubbed the back of his neck.

"I never saw it like that," he said.

She rolled her eyes and looked up at Cosmic Boy.

"Oh Cosmic Boy, when did you get here?" she asked.

Cosmic Boy sent her an annoyed look, before shaking his head.

"So Cos," she said.

"What?"

"Can Lucas come to the tower once every other week?" Batgirl asked.

"We can't have anyone non-Legionnaire here!" Cosmic Boy said, sounding as if Batgirl had told him she wanted to blow up the universe.

"Trust me, Lucas doesn't know the meaning 'no'. Either you let him come once every _other_ week, or he'll sneak in _everyday_," Batgirl said, stating it matter-of-factly.

Cosmic Boy sighed as he thought over what she said. He finally agreed.

"Fine, but he has to come once every other week," he said.

Lucas jumped in the air in joy.

"Yeah!! I can actually come to the tower!!" he cried.

Batgirl and Cosmic Boy both rolled their eyes.

"You're to take care of him," Cosmic Boy said, walking off.

Batgirl made fun of him by saluting like a soldier then sticking her tounge out at him as he left. She looked back at her friend.

"Come on, let me show you around," she said, beginning the tour.

--

"...and finally, the lounge," Batgirl said as the two walked into the lounge.

He walked in and his eyes widened when he saw Superman, Timber Wolf, and Cham talking. Brainy was over at COMPUTO, typing stuff in. Lucas ran over to Superman and them, shaking all their hands.

"I can't believe it! I'm actually meeting _the_ Superman!!" Lucas said, more focused on the 21st century hero than the other three in the room.

Brainy rose an eyebrow. Batgirl slapped her forehead. She walked over, grabbed him by the ear and pulled him away from the confused Superman.

"Down Lucas!" Batgirl said, sitting him on the couch.

"Sorry Batgirl," he said, sounding like a kicked puppy.

Batgirl shook her head.

"Who's that?" Brainy asked.

"This is Lucas, a friend of mine," Batgirl said, turning her attention to the android.

Brainy rose an eyebrow. Cham only blinked; Lucas was not who he had expected him to be.

"What's he doing here?" Timber Wolf asked, knowing that Cosmic Boy did not usually allow civilains into the tower.

"He's here to visit," she replied.

A loud alarm went off, red lights flashing throughout the room. Cosmic Boy and Phantom Girl ran into the room. Everyone looked around before looking at Brainy. Brainy typed something in before bringing up the problem. Superman and Batgirl were by his side in a minute.

"What's going on Brainy?" Superman asked.

"It seems someone is stealing from the nuclear bomb warehouses," Brainy said, bringing up a video feed of a few warehouses.

Batgirl looked closely to see the figure sneaking into one. What caught her attention was the birds circling over the warehouses.

"Brainy, zoom in on the birds," she said.

"Why?" he asked.

"Don't ask, just do it!" she said.

Brainy did as she said as he zoomed in. Cosmic Boy, Phantom Girl, Timber Wolf, and Cham walked over to them.

"I don't get it," Phantom Girl said.

"Yea, why do you want to know about the birds?" Cosmic Boy asked.

"Look at them, there's five of them, but none of them are the same species," Batgirl explained.

"So?" Cham asked.

"So, why would five different speices work together if they're meant to _kill_ each other?" she said, making it sound like a three-year-old could figure it out.

"Batgirl's right, that doesn't make much sense," Superman said.

"I've seen this before," Lucas pipped up.

Everyone looked at him.

"Back in the 21st century, the original Batman had an enemy that could command any kind of bird," Lucas said. "I believe his name was... the Penguin."

"Well no matter the name, we need to quit talking here and head out and stop him," Cosmic Boy said.

The Legionnaires nodded and ran out of the room.

"What am I suppose to do?" Lucas asked.

"Stay here!" Batgirl called back.

Lucas crossed his arms and pouted, but an idea popped in his head.

--

The six Legionnaires appeared at the warehouses and walked in. It was dark, but the others could see. The walked a couple feet, but came to some steps that lead downwards. They carefully walked underground to see the lights were bright.

"So, where's the bad guy?" Cham asked.

"Over here!" a voice said.

Everyone looked to see a male that was maybe in his early thirties. He was 6 foot 1 and wore a suit that looked like he was going to a fancy dinner party. He wore a top hat and a black umbrella with a sharp end. His blue eyes sparkled with amusment. Around him were his five birds: a finch, a vulture, a bald eagle, a hawk, and a pidgeon.

"It's so good to see the Legion of Superheroes," the person said with a sly smirk.

"Who are you?" Batgirl asked.

"My name is Birdy," the man said.

Batgirl and the others just stared at him. Cham began laughing.

"You've got to be kidding," Batgirl said.

"What kind of name is Birdy?" Cham asked.

Birdy looked at the changling with annoyence. He snapped his fingers, and the vulture flew up and headed straight for Cham. Cham ducked as the big bird flew over him. Batgirl took out a batbola and threw it, the rope wrapping around it's beak.

"Very clever," Birdy said, snapping his fingers again.

The finch and the hawk flew from where they were at the other Legionnaires. In the background, hidden in the shadows, a red light was blinking. Batgirl ran over at Birdy and tried roundhouse kicking him in the head, but Birdy grabbed her leg and threw her across the room. She held her head, shook away the pain, and got up. She charged at him once again.

The pidgeon and the bald eagle flew out and hit the other Legionnaires. Superman dodged the pidgeon and shot a heat ray at it, the heat ray hitting him perfectly. Cosmic Boy used his metal powers and lifted some metal and wrapped it around the vulture. Chameleon Boy grabbed the finch and held it in his grip, but yelped in pain when the finch bit it.

"Why you!" Cham said, running after the evil little bird.

The bald eagle flew towards Phantom Girl, but she fazed and the eagle went right threw her, freaking it out a bit. Phantom Girl picked up a bag that was close by and placed it over the eagle's beak. She then held on as she took out a rope and tied the bag over the beak.

"There, that should take care of any pecking problems," she said.

Timber Wolf held down the hawk, which was angrily sqwacking. Timber Wolf growled, and the hawk quieted down, knowing that it shouldn't fight against the tougher animal. Batgirl grabbed the umbrella that was aimed for her head and threw it, Birdy going with it. He hit the wall with a thud. He looked up and saw Brainy looking down at him, his small laser aiming at the man's head.

"I'd advise you to not move," Brainy said.

Birdy smirked as he quickly reached into his pocket and took out a small circluar device. He threw it on the ground, and heavy clouds appeared in the room. Brainy took a step back and coughed as did the others. Batgirl rapidly went through her belt until she found her BatDefog. She held it up and it sucked in the smoke cloud. Brainy was on the ground. Superman rushed over to his friend.

"Brainy, you okay?" he asked.

"Yea, I'll be fine," Brainy said.

Batgirl looked over the stuff she read on the BatDefog.

"Impressive," she said. "It's a cloud meant to slow robots and androids down."

"So, what's that mean?" Cham asked.

"Don't know, but I have a feeling he was expecting us," Batgirl said.

"That was totally amazing!!" a voice in the shadows called.

Everyone turned and looked to see Lucas come out of the shadows, holding a video camera.

"Lucas, what are you doing here?!" Batgirl shrieked.

"Oh... well... you know I can't sit still, especially if action's involved," Lucas said.

Cosmic Boy used his ability to lift up the camera and it was in his hands in a second.

"Have you been video taping us the whole time?" Cosmic Boy asked.

Lucas sheepishly nodded.

"Yea, I wanted to show my friends back at school," he said.

"DIDN'T WE GO OVER SOMETHING ABOUT NOT TELLING ANYONE WHERE YOU'VE BEEN?!" Batgirl yelled.

The Legionnaires looked at her in surprise. Lucas sheepishly laughed and took a footsteps back.

"Now now Batgirl, no need for violence," he said.

Batgirl growled and lifted up a fist, about to hit him, but Brainy's voice stopped her.

"Hold on, he might have a good idea," Brainy said.

"What?! Him?" Batgirl said. "Honestly Brainy, I think that smoke got to your head."

"No, it seems we do not know who Birdy is," he said, "but if we replay Lucas's video's, then maybe we can try to understand all we can about any of our villains."

Lucas smiled.

"Okay, but if we have to go somewhere and he's in school, what will we do?" Batgirl asked.

"We'll pull him out of it," Superman said.

"But Lucas, if we're fighting, you're not allowed to intervien," Cosmic Boy said. "Got it?"

Lucas nodded quickly. Batgirl walked over and picked up the camera.

"Which means _we'll _be keeping it," she said.

"But it's_ mine_," Lucas said.

"I DON'T CARE!" she yelled. "I DON'T TRUST YOU WITH IT!!"

Lucas stood back.

"Okay okay," he said. "Shessh, you don't have to be so mean."

Batgirl sighed as she took out a small communicator that was like the BatCom.

"Here," she said, handing it over to him, "if we need you, it'll vibrate. If you're in school, make an excuse so you can leave."

"Okay," he said, nodding.

He looked over at Cosmic Boy.

"Is my rule about the once every other week still enforced?" he asked.

"The exception is if we need you for a very important mission," Cosmic Boy said.

Lucas smiled.

"Now go back home Lucas," Batgirl said.

"Yeah okay," he said. "See ya later Legion!"

He ran off. Batgirl shook her head as she looked back at Superman and the others.

"Come on guys, let's go back to the tower and run the footage," she said.

The others nodded and followed her out of the nuclear warehouse.

"Wonder why Birdy wanted some nuclear bombs?" Cham said to the group.

"Don't know Cham, could have done it for anything..." Batgirl said.

The sound of the Legion speaking about Cham's question began to fade away until it was completely gone. The red blinking light in the darkness continued to blink, but at a much slower rate. Somewhere in a dimily lit room, a dark shadowy figure sat on a chair. Hands crossed, his chin laied on them. His eyes slitted as he replaied the video on the screen. His dark green eyes looked angry.

"So, the little bat is out to play," the person said. "But it's a girl this time."

His eyes then lightened in amusment.

"I wander if she'll last," he said, laughter in his voice. "If she lasted this long, then maybe she will last long enough for the game to get interesting."

To be continued ...

--

Me: Yeah, I finished my fifth chapter. Who's the dark evil creepy guy in the shadows? If you think it's someone from the Legion show, it's not. Please continue to read to find out. Please review.


	6. My Bad Nightmare

Disclaimer: Me: Hi everyone. Here's Chapter Six everyone, I hope you guys will review! I want to here your thoughts and opinions (but if your :P, **THEN STAY AWAY FROM HERE**!). This is a week after the last chapter.

Title: Bat of the Future

Author: AnimeGirl 144

Chapter 6: My Bad Nightmare

--

Kari walked around in darkness, not knowing where she was going or where she was. She looked around, and saw no one.

"Hello?" she called.

No answer. She looked ahead of herself and saw a door up ahead.

_"A door? What's a door doing in the middle of nowhere?"_ she thought.

She shrugged and ran over to the door. She opened the door and her eyes widened when she saw her mom and dad.

"Mom, Dad?" she asked.

She was about to run over to them but stopped when she heard her mother scream in pain and red blood dripped down in the darkness. Her eyes widened as she looked from her dead parents upward to see the same gun that shot her parents pointing straight at her. Her eyes widened, and she heard the trigger pull.

"AHHHH!!" she screamed, sitting up quickly in her bed.

She breathed heavily, sweat rolling down her face. Her heart was racing, and she tried to make it return to normal. She placed a hand against her chest and began to breath deeply. She finally gained control of her breathing, and took in a deep breath. She then placed her head between her knees and breathed.

"Get a hold of yourself Kari, it was just a nightmare," she said to herself.

Kari heard her door slide open.

"Batgirl?" a voice asked.

Kari looked up quickly, her head dizzy from looking up quickly, but she saw a shadowy figure at her door. The figure walked in, and she was able to see who it was thanks to the moonlight that shone in from her windows. Cosmic Boy's eyes widened.

"Ka-Kari Wayne?" he asked, surprised of Batgirl's identity.

"Yes?" she asked, not in the mood, but didn't hint any kind of attitude.

"I... er... heard you scream," Cosmic Boy said, walking closer to the bed. "Everything alright?"

Kari sighed and nodded as she moved her legs out of the covers. Her pj's was a silky black spagetti strap shirt and silky black pajama bottoms. She looked him straight in the eyes.

"I'm fine," she said, giving him a small smile. "I just had a nightmare."

"Do you want to talk about it?" he asked.

She shook her head.

"No thanks, I'm fine," she said. "I need to get back to sleep though. Thanks for worrying though."

He blushed a bit, but nodded, and quickly walked out of her room. She smiled a bit, and was about to go back to bed, when she saw something shiney on the ground. She bent down and saw a small marbale-like item. She grabbed her glove that was on the bedstand and picked it up. She placed it in a plastic baggy and studied it.

_"Hmm-m, what is it?"_ she thought. _"And for that matter, how did it get in here?"_

--

The next morning, Kari, as Batgirl, walked into Brainy's lab to see him working on another invention. She walked over to him, taking off her mask and allowing her hair out. Brainy didn't seem to notice her.

"Hey Brainy," she called, halfway across the room.

"Yes Kari," he answered, turning around in his chair at Kari.

Kari held up her bag, showing him the marble in the bag. Brainy looked at it, and carefully took it out. He placed on a monocular that jewelers used to check how expensive a jewel was. He studied it before looking at her.

"Where'd you find this?" he asked.

"It was in my room last night, just laying there on the ground," Kari replied.

Brainy went back to the marble and placed it under a microscope. He began to analyze it again. Kari leaned against his work chair.

"So, what is it Brainy?" she asked.

"I don't know, but some kind of gas particales was in it," Brainy said.

"What?! What do you mean?" she asked.

"If you look inside the ball a bit closely, you'll see that it's open," Brainy said. "Somebody activated it before dropping it into your room."

He turned in his chair and looked at her. He had a serious look on his face.

"I need to test you again," he said.

Kari sighed as she placed her mask back on and followed him to the testing bed. She laied down on it and sighed. Brainy began running scans, but nothing came up. He placed his hand under his chin in thought before calling for Saturn Girl. She came inside.

"What's the matter Brainy?" she asked.

"Can you scan Batgirl's mind," Brainy said.

Saturn Girl nodded, not questioning his request. She walked over to Batgirl, who was off the table, and began to scan Batgirl's mind. After awhile, Saturn Girl opened her eyes and looked over at Brainy. She seemed a bit confused.

"I've scanned her mind Brainy, and I saw something wrong with the dreaming section of her brain," Saturn Girl said. "Some kind of orange gas is surrounding it."

Brainy placed his hand under his chin and closed his eyes, trying to think. Batgirl walked over to Saturn Girl.

"Hey, was the gas dangerous?" Batgirl asked.

Saturn Girl looked at the girl and shook her head.

"No, it doesn't seem poisonous," Saturn Girl said. "However, I think it might mess with your brain, Miss Wayne."

Batgirl sighed.

"You found out too?" she asked.

Saturn Girl nodded.

"Saturn Girl, can you get Dream Girl, maybe she can help us," Brainy said.

Saturn Girl nodded and flew out of the room. She came back moments later to return with Dream Girl (I'm switching her powers a bit. Not only can she predict what will happen in her dreams, she can also read dreams and try to make sense of it). Dream Girl walked over to Batgirl.

"I'll need to ask you to remove your mask," she said.

Batgirl sighed and took off her mask. Dream Girl held in a gasp, but placed her hands on the side of Kari's head and closed her eyes. Dream Girl saw her dreams and recent nightmares. But, she heard laughter and a face, that didn't fit with any of the dreams. Dream Girl gasped as she quickly removed her hands. The three looked at her. She looked over at Saturn Girl and Brainy.

"I need to speak with you two, alone," she said.

Batgirl sighed and walked out of the room. She leaned against the wall, waiting for the three inside to quit talking. Cham turned the corner and saw her.

"Hey there Batgirl," he said.

She looked at him.

"Hey Cham."

"Are you waiting for Brainy?"

"Sort of," she replied.

Suddenly, the red sirens alert went off. The two in the hall looked up quickly.

"Another mission?" Cham asked.

Batgirl smirked.

"I hope so," she said.

The door next to them slid open and the three inside ran outside. Brainy looked over at Batgirl.

"Batgirl, you need to stay here," he ordered.

"What?! You want me to _stay_?" she said.

"Don't argue with me," Brainy said with his threatning voice, "you need to stay here."

He turned and ran off. Saturn Girl motioned her head for Cham to follow her. The two ran off, leaving Dream Girl and Batgirl.

"You going to go too?" she asked.

"No, we need to talk," Dream Girl said.

Batgirl blinked.

"About what?" she asked.

"After scanning your brain, mostly your dreaming section, I can sense something is wrong with it," Dream Girl said.

"What do you mean?" Batgirl said, fearing this might of had something to do with her nightmare.

"You see, right now, that gas chemical is not deadly, but I fear you might start seeing things that aren't really there," Dream Girl said.

Batgirl blinked.

"You mean... I'LL GO INSANE!?" she yelled.

Dream Girl backed up bit, placing her hands up in defense.

"I didn't say that," she said. "All I said was that you _might _start seeing things, that's all."

Batgirl sighed.

"So, how's that going to affect me as a Legionnaire?"

"You won't be able to go on missions until we clear out what ever is in your brain," Dream Girl replied.

Batgirl sighed as her shoulders slumped. Dream Girl placed a hand on her shoulder, trying to comfort the girl.

"I really am sorry, but it's for the best Kari," she said.

Her hand slid off and she walked down the hall to her room. Batgirl stayed in the empty hallway for over two minutes before walking off. She contemplated on wether going back to the Wayne's building or stay in her room and do nothing. She was close to her room when Superman turned the corner and smiled at her.

"Hey there Batgirl," he said.

"Hey," she replied. "Why aren't you out on the mission?"

"Cosmic Boy said he had enough, so I decided to stay behind," he answered. "What about you?"

She sighed as she leaned back on the wall and crossed her arms.

"Last night, someone dropped a small marbale-like item into my room and the gas chemical in it slowly made it's way into my brain, making Brainy and Dream Girl fear that I might see things that aren't really there, placing my life in danger," she replied.

Superman blinked. He was trying to be nice and not back away. He only placed on a fake smile. Batgirl sighed.

"No worries Superman, I know it sounded crazy, especially coming from me," she said. "I'm going to rest."

With that said, she walked past Superman and into her room. She went to her bed, took off her mask and cape, and rested on her bed. The sound of rushed footsteps made her open her eyes. She blinked and sat up quickly just as her door slid open. Dream Girl was at the entrance, looking at her with a worried look.

"We have a problem," she said.

The lounge door slid open as Dream Girl and Batgirl ran in. On the couch was a beat up looking Cosmic Boy and an emotionless Brainy with Superman and Lightning Lad looking down at them. The two looked up to see the girls. Batgirl stepped forward.

"What happened?" she asked.

Cosmic Boy looked up at her and she saw his face was scratched up. He breathed in heavily before looking back at his knees. Brainy looked over.

"We went to the distrest signal," Brainy said.

"Who's we?" Lightning Lad asked.

Guessing by the question, neither of the two had told Superman and Lightning Lad anything.

"Brainy, Cham, Saturn Girl, Bouncing Boy, and myself," Cosmic Boy answered, his voice sounding very rough.

"So what happened?" Dream Girl asked.

"It was something like an ambush," Brainy said. "Whoever placed that gas chemical in your room did the same with the others. They started see things, things that were not there."

"Even Saturn Girl couldn't fight it," Cosmic Boy said.

"So what about you?" Lightning Lad asked.

"I got the lesser of the chemical, so it wasn't a big affect like the others. I will occansionally see things that aren't there, but it will leave quickly," Cosmic Boy replied.

"I wasn't affected by the chemical do to my technology," Brainy replied.

"So what are we going to do?" Superman asked.

"Whoever attacked us used our fears to affect us," Cosmic Boy said.

"Fear?" Batgirl repeated.

She took out her BatCom and pressed the screen.

"What are you doing?" Lightning Lad asked.

"I'm calling up Lucas," Batgirl replied. "He seemed to know about Birdy, maybe he can figure out who this person is based on."

Within minutes, Lucas ran in, breathing hard.

"Ne...need help?" he asked, taking in quick breaths.

Brainy filled Lucas in on everything, Lucas silently listening. When Brainy finished, Lucas scanned his mind for any villain that was close to the villain. His face brightened.

"Can I use your comupter?" he asked.

Brainy was a little hesitant, but nodded and allowed Lucas to go on. He typed in something on the internet, and a bio of a villain in the 21st century came up. The remaining Legionnaires crowded around him to see the computer screen.

"Who's that?" Lightning Lad asked.

"In the 21st century, the original Batman had a villain that messed with people's minds, like letting them see things that aren't there. His name was Scarecrow, but his real name was lost," Lucas said.

Batgirl rose an eyebrow.

"This is the second villain that came from a Batman villain," she said outloud.

"Doesn't matter, we need to find him and stop him," Brainy said.

"How? You guys got your butts kicked the first time," Batgirl reminded.

"She's got a point," Lightning Lad said.

"Doesn't matter whether or not we did, we still need to take him down," Brainy said.

"Well, what about me?" Lucas asked. "If I get affected while tapeing... what will happen?"

Brainy thought for a moment before walking to the door. He walked out, and minutes later, Brainy came back with a suit. He threw it over at Lucas.

"There, that'll help you," Brainy said. "Now we need to get going."

--

The ship landed on an island. The Legionnaires walked out and went into the garage-like opening.

"This is way too easy," Lightning Lad said.

"It's like, the person wants us to come in," Dream Girl said.

"That is the point my dear," a voice rang out.

Everyone stopped and got into a fighting stance. Lucas, in his suit, ran and hid in the shadows, video-taping everything. Out of the shadows, a person walked out and stood before the group, his hands behind his back. His whole person was black, no face what-so-ever. He wore an outfit that was identical to the original Scarecrow (The Scarecrow from the 90's Batman TV series).

"Who are you?" Superman asked.

"My name... is Scarecrow," Scarecrow said calmly.

"Real original," Batgirl said. "Now what do you want?"

"Is it not obvious my dear? Every villain wishes to rid the universe of the heroes, and I am merely doing my part," he said.

"And you're going to use your nightmare chemical things, correct?" Cosmic Boy asked.

"Yes," was the simple answer they recieved. "You are allowed to try and stop me Legion of Superheroes, but you may end up like your friends."

A wall behind him lightened up, and the others saw Bouncing Boy, Cham, and Saturn Girl in tubes with the orange chemical surrounding them. Lightning Lad didn't think, he just threw lightning at Scarecrow. Scarecrow got out of the way in time, and threw three small marbles. Brainy recognized them quickly.

"Everyone, move!" he ordered.

Everyone but Lightning Lad jumped. The orange chemcial surrounded him, making him cough as he landed on his knees, when he looked up, his eyes widened in fright. He saw the clown from his childhood, with that creepy smile. (Me: WHY THE HECK DID HE EVEN OWN THAT THING?! IT WAS TOTALLY CREEPY!!)

"No! No! Get away!" Lightning Lad said, crawling back on his butt.

Batgirl rolled a bit before looking up. Her eyes widened when she saw the laser gun pointed at her. She froze in place, waiting for the trigger to be pulled.

It was never pulled.

When she blinked, the gun was gone.

"Batgirl!" Lucas called.

Batgirl looked in the direction he called.

"Help the others!" he yelled.

Batgirl looked over to see Cosmic Boy and Dream Girl fly at Scarecrow. Both were about to punch him, but he brought up his arm and threw them aside, both of them falling against the wall. Superman stood up and shot heat ray vision at him. It hit him in the back of the neck (er... at least he thinks so). Scarecrow rose his hand up and it became stretchy, hitting Superman and making him hit the wall. Batgirl got up to her feet quickly and ran at Scarecrow. She was about to roundhouse kick him, but stopped herself. Her eyes shook. Instead of Scarecrow standing where he was, it was her father. Scarecrow grabbed her leg and threw her. She hit the wall and landed next to Superman, who was slowly getting up. Scarecrow had his hands behind his back as he walked.

"This is the best the Legion has to offer me?" Scarecrow asked. "You're the universe's heroes, and you are being beat by me. Why is that?"

Superman shot another heat ray vision, hitting Scarecrow in the stomach. Scarecrow held it as the smoke clouds rose from the burn mark. Cosmic Boy got to his knees and used his metal powers to rip the metal out of the wall and threw them at Scarecrow. Scarecrow turned and looked at Cosmic Boy. Suddenly, a laser cannon hit him in the left arm. He turned and saw a glaring Brainy with his arm cannon pointed at his head. Dream Girl and Batgirl slowly got up to their hands and knees.

"Yes, now this will be a challeging fight," Scarecrow said as he launched one of his stretchy arms at Brainy.

Dream Girl ran over to Batgirl and helped her get up to her feet.

"Come on, we'll get the others out of the tube," she said.

Batgirl nodded and followed Dream Girl to where the Legionnaires were being held. Scarecrow noticed and threw a marble at them. It missed Batgirl by an inch, but got Dream Girl. Dream Girl fell to the ground with the orange chemical surrounding her. Batgirl stopped in her tracks and looked at her.

"Dream Girl!" she said.

She turned quickly and threw two exploding batarangs at Scarecrow. It hit him both on the neck. He stumbled back and held his neck. She glared at him, but knew she had to help the others. Before Scarecrow could get his revenge, Cosmic Boy threw a steel wall at Scarecrow, making him hit the ground with the wall above him. Batgirl turned back and took out an exploding batarang and thrusted it in the control panel. The system went highwired, and electricity sparked everywhere around it. The orange chemicals in the tubes exited from the tubes. Batgirl turned back to the fight to see Superman knocked to the ground. She narrowed her eyes into slits and ran at him. She did a front flip and did a heel kick on Scarecrow's shoulder. Scarecrow growled as black liquid oozed from his wounds. Batgirl breathed in and out. He stood up straight, and looked ready to punch her, when a metal wall came out of no-where, protecting her from the punch. Cosmic Boy used his strength and thrusted it at Scarecrow.

"Brainy, now!" Cosmic Boy shouted.

Brainy leveled his laser and shot a powerful laser at Scarecrow's back. Scarecrow fell to the ground. Batgirl took out three shurikens (Me: Shurikens are AWESOME! And the Batman from Batman: the Animated Series had them! If you don't know what they look like, check Google Images) and carefully walked over to him. Scarecrow looked beat, but it was hard to tell since he had no face.

"Be careful Batgirl," Cosmic Boy warned.

She stopped just outside of his arm length. Scarecrow's head lifted up at her.

"Where's the antidote?" she asked harshly.

She didn't take people hurting her friends too likely. Scarecrow almost looked ready to attack, but didn't.

"I wouldn't even try anything, not if you want a hole through your head," Batgirl said. "Now I'll ask again: The antidote, where is it?"

Scarecrow lowered his head and chuckled lowly.

"Very well," he said. "It is in this room, but I will not tell you where."

Batgirl growled, and was about to hit Scarecrow from the back of the neck with the shurikens, but clay appeared under him, sucking him down. In minutes, he was gone. Batgirl stood up. She took in a quick breath and looked over at the others.

"Where could the antidote be?" Superman asked, getting up to his feet.

"I have it right here," Brainy said, holding up a tube of white liquid.

--

Back at the Legion tower, Lightning Lad, Dream Girl, Saturn Girl (in her healing transe (Is that what it's called?)), Cham, and Bouncing Boy were resting in the medbay, the liquid flowing through their head and getting rid of the orange chemical gas. Kari, Superman, Lucas, Cosmic Boy, and Brainy where in Brainiac 5's lab. Batgirl and Cosmic Boy already had the antidote in their heads. Brainy was going over the clay that was left behind.

"Any leads on where he might have gone Brainy?" Kari asked, her mask off of her face and behind her neck.

Brainy turned around on his chair and shook his head with a sigh.

"No, I can't find anything about this clay. There were no finger prints, and no DNA samples on it," Brainy said. "It's just clay."

Cosmic Boy looked over at Lucacs.

"Lucas, will you leave the video camera here?"

"Sure. Um... where would you like me to leave it?"

"Hand it to me," Brainy said, his hand extending to infront of Lucas.

Lucas was at first surprised, but placed the small video camera on his hand. Brainy's hand returned to him, and he placed it near the computer. Lucas said his good-bye and walked off. Minutes later, Kari stretched her limbs out with a yawn. She heard a crack in her limbs, which made her wince in pain. Cosmic Boy looked over at her.

"You should get some rest, you sound tired," he said.

Kari dismissed it and looked over at the replay video. She noticed something that caught her eyes. She leaned closer to Brainy.

"Brainy, pause the video and zoom in on the section right there," she said, pointing at an area on the screen.

Brainy nodded and did as she said. He zoomed in and the Legionnaires in the room squinted their eyes.

"What's that?" Superman asked.

"Looks like, the red light from Lucas's video camera," Cosmic Boy said.

"Can't be it," Brainy stated.

"Why not?" Cosmic Boy asked.

"There was no mirrior," Kari said. "And look, there's two red lights."

She placed her hand to her face as her fingers touched her lips in thought.

"I wander... what was watching us?" she asked, mostly to herself.

She stood up straight and walked to the door.

"Where are you going?" Cosmic Boy asked.

"I'm going to do some research," she said. "Night."

The door slid closed behind her.

--

Scarecrow walked into the dimly lit room.

''It is nice to see you Scarecrow," a voice said.

"I would say the same to you, but I hardly know you," Scarecrow said cunningly.

"You will get to know me later, but for now, I am merely a villain that has the same thing in mind like you," the voice said. "To get rid of the Legion, but mostly, Batgirl."

"She is cunning," Scarecrow said. "What do you have in mind?"

"So many years ago, a group of super villains came together to go against the Justice League. They were called, the Legion of Doom," the voice said. "I wish to revive that Legion of Doom. So far, you and Clayface are the first members of the New Legion of Doom."

The light shown on Clayface, his blood-shot red eyes looked empty and blank. He was not like a living organism, but more like a puppet. Scarecrow nodded.

"Alright, who else will be recruited into the Legion of Doom?" Scarecrow asked.

"You will see," the voice said, as the lights dimmed to where it was almost impossible to see. "You will see..."

To be continued ...

--

Me: Yeah, I finished my sixth chapter. I am proud of myself because I have made this a long chapter! I hope the fighting scene didn't suck and was a bit realistic. Please continue to read to find out what will happen next. Please review.


	7. Dreamland in a Hat

Disclaimer: Me: Hi everyone. Here's Chapter Seven everyone. As of right now, almost everyone in the Legion knows Batgirl is Kari. Also this is dedicated to: JudeDeluca

Title: Bat of the Future

Author: AnimeGirl 144

Chapter 7: Dreamland in a Hat

--

Kari yawned as she sat up in her computer chair. She rubbed her eyes and took a quick look at one of the window page on her computer screen. She looked at one of the articles for the New Gotham News. She turned off the computer and walked over to her closet. She grabbed a normal looking of clothings and her brush. She walked out of the room and into a near-by bathroom. She grabbed a purple towel from the towel cubert and turned on the bath water. Once the water was hot enough and the tub was near-full, she undressed and got into the tub.

Thirty minutes later, she walked out of the bathroom. She was wearing a white spagetti strap shirt and black jeans with a gray light jacket. Her hair was dried up and the towel was held loosley in her hand. She walked down the hall, not running into any of the other Legionnaires, and walked into her room. She threw the towel in the hamper and walked over to the drawer. She picked up the utility belt and placed it in one of her black mini backpacks. She looked at the Batgirl suit on her bed, and decided to place it in the bag. She took out the BatCom and pressed a button. Alfred came on the screen.

"Good morning Miss Kari, how is everything with you?" he asked.

"Morning Alfred," she said. "Everything's good. How about you?"

"I am doing well, and your robot clone is doing very well, though you must know," Alfred said.

"Know what?" she asked.

"A fundraiser will be coming up sometime in the next week, and _you _must make an appearence," Alfred said.

Kari whined as she walked down the hall.

"Do I have to?" she asked.

"Yes, your clone cannot go to public meetings," Alfred said.

Kari sighed, knowing she lost.

"Fine, I'll go," she said. "Say Alfred, can you pick me up just outside of New Metropolis?"

"I will be there shortly ma'am," Alfred said.

Kari smiled.

"Thanks Alfred, see ya soon," she said, pressing the screen.

She placed the BatCom in her pocket and preceeded to the front doors when she felt someone watching her. She turned, and saw a quick movement in the shadows. She crossed her arms and rose an eyebrow. Her right foot tapped a bit, showing she was a little annoyed. She didn't like it when people sneack up on her, and they couldn't do it well.

"Come on out Cham," she said.

Cham sighed and stepped out of the shadows. He was a little bruised, but otherwise, he was fine. He walked over to her.

"Where are you going?" he asked.

"I'm going to do some research," she said, turning. "I'll be back soon, I promise."

With that, she walked out of the door, looked around to make sure no one saw her, then quickly walked off.

--

Alfred landed the small limoe in the parking lot. Kari smiled has he opened the door, and she stepped out.

"Will you be long, Miss?" he asked.

"What do you mean silly, you're coming with me," she said, turning and walking to the entrance.

Alfred looked a little surprised. Kari turned and gave the look of "follow." He walked to her side and the two walked into New Gotham's Batman Museum. (Me: If Superman can have one, then so can _I_, at least in this fic) The two walked in to see the ceiling high up and paintings everywhere. They walked around, and little children from Gotham Elementary ran by them occasionally to see some artifacts that they "owed" or "awed" at. Kari had to chuckle, because she was just like them when she was a little kid. She stood behind them and looked at the artifact, which was Batman's utility belt.

"That's so cool!" a little boy said.

"I know! I want one too!" a little girl said.

"You can't have one," another boy said.

"And why not!" the same girl shot back.

"Because you're a _girl_," the same boy shot back.

Kari looked a little annoyed. She got that aswell. Of course, she did have a good defense for the girl. She leaned in closer to the children.

"Did I hear you two arguing?" she asked.

The two arguers looked up. They didn't recognize her, and she was grateful for that. They nodded. The girl pointed at the boy.

"Ray says I can't be like Batman because I'm a girl," the girl accused.

Ray glared at her.

"Well, I actually know that this girl-"

"Dorothy," the girl said.

"-Dorothy, can be like Batman, because there is a Bat_girl _presently," Kari said.

Ray opened his mouth, thought for a second, then closed it and blushed furiously. He stomped off, knowing he lost the fight. Dorothy turned and smiled at Kari.

"Thanks for your help big lady," Dorothy said.

Kari smiled down at her.

"No problem Dorothy," Kari said.

"Dorothy!" the teacher yelled.

Dorothy waved goodbye to Kari and ran over to her teacher. She smiled, and Alfred smiled at her.

"You really wanted to help her, didn't you?" he asked.

Kari nodded.

"Oh wow, this looks cool," a familiar voice said behind her.

Kari turned her head and looked over her shoulder to see Clark Kent. He was examing the old Batman's suit, which was in perfect condition. Kari groaned a bit, making Alfred look at her.

"Is something wrong miss?" he asked with a raised eyebrow.

"No, everything's okay, I just need to... er... talk to some people," Kari said, walking over to where Clark was.

Clark didn't even hear her coming, but he felt her hand on his shoulder. Of course, he didn't know it was her. He turned, and he nearly jumped out of his skin.

"K-Kari, what are you doing here?" he asked.

"Funny, I could ask you the same thing," Kari said, slitting her eyes at him. "Are you following me?"

"No, it's not that!" Clark said. "It's just... we thought-"

"Hold it! We? There's a _we_?" Kari demanded.

Clark nodded.

"Yea, Timber Wolf wanted to come along," he answered.

"Where is he?" Kari asked.

"Well, if he came as Timber Wolf, then someone would think something was up," Superman said. "So, Brainy made this device that made Timber Wolf, unTimber Wolf."

"Enough with the explination, where is he?" Kari said.

"He's right there," Clark said, pointing.

Kari looked to see a boy with long black hair that matched Timber Wolf's, his skin was a bit dark, he wore an orange shirt and black pants. He turned, and Kari looked closely.

"Well, let's hope everyone's an idiot," Kari said, looking back at Clark, "otherwise, we're in trouble."

Timber Wolf walked over to Clark and Kari. He looked at her with his golden eyes and a scowl on his face.

"What are you going here?" he asked.

"Excuse me?" Kari asked. "What are you talking about? What are _you _doing here?"

"We came to look around," Timber Wolf said.

"Well I came for research, Tim-"

"Brin," Timber Wolf said.

"Brin?" Kari asked.

"Yes, that's my... human name (before TW was TW, was he human?)," Brin said.

Kari rolled her eyes.

"Whatever," Kari said.

"Miss, are these your friends?" Alfred asked from behind her.

Kari turned and nodded.

"Yea, this is Clark and Brin," Kari said, moving aside so Alfred could see them. "Guys, this is Alfred."

Alfred extended his hand, first to Clark than to Brin.

"It is nice to meet the legendary Superman and Timber Wolf," Alfred said.

Clark's and Brin's eyes widened, looking over at Kari. Kari shrugged.

"When Miss Kari was looking up the Legion members, I decided to see who she would be working with," Alfred said.

"So Kari, why are you here?" Clark asked.

"I'm researching something," Kari said, turning and walking to the Hall of Villains.

The three males followed after her, and the four walked into the Hall and saw that no one was in there.

"What are you researching exactly?" Brin asked.

"Batman's villains," Kari said. "For some reason, two villains in a row from Batman's past is way too ironic."

"So... you're going to study all of his villains, so if we come against anyone like them, we might have a chance?" Brin said, raising an eyebrow as Kari read the data on a villain known as the Mad Hatter.

Next to the datapad was a holographic form of the Mad Hatter. She looked over her shoulder and nodded, before going back to the pad.

"That's going to take forever," Brin said, crossing his arms.

"As long as you're quiet, I can get through them all quickly," Kari snapped back.

Brin growled, but kept his mouth shut. Clark and Alfred walked over to some other villains and looked them over. Suddenly, Clark looked up quickly. Brin looked over at him.

"What's wrong Clark?" Brin asked.

"I thought I heard something," Clark said.

A sudden explosion occured in the main room. The four turned and saw the ceiling fall to the ground. Kari's eyes widened when she saw one of the ceilings about to fall on a child that had tripped and fell. Kari took off her backpack, threw it to Alfred, and made a dash for the child.

"Kari, what are you-?" Clark began.

"I have to help the kid," Kari replied back as her speed hastened.

She slid and used her body as a shield for the little kid, just as the ceiling piece neared. Kari closed her eyes and waited for contact, but didn't feel anything. She opened her eyes and looked up to see the ceiling piece one inch from her nose. Her eyes widened.

"Hey...(grunt)... girl," Superman's voice said. "Move."

Kari grabbed the child by his wrist and began to crawl from underneath the rubble. Superman released the ceiling piece and looked over at Kari and the boy that quickly ran away.

"You okay?" he asked.

"I'm fine," she said, getting up.

Both turned and saw cards walking towards them. The thing about these cards, they were as tall as Superman, had two arms, two legs, and you could identify them by the shape and the color. Kari blinked.

"Cards? But how can that be?" she said, more so to herself.

"Being in the future, I'm beginning to believe nothing is impossible," Superman said, his eyes scanning the room.

No civilians.

"Kari, I think you should change so you can help us," Superman said.

Kari nodded and ran back to where Alfred was suppose to be. When she arrived, her eyes widened with a gasp. Alfred was up against the wall, his net being a card. Timber Wolf was fighting against a man wearing a green top hat with an orange coat over him. The man threw cards at Timber Wolf, that he was able to slash at and cut into halves. Kari ran over to Alfred and looked to see her bag near his feet on the ground. She picked it up, opened the bag, and took out a shuriken. She took a step back, and cut the card in an "X". The card fell apart and Alfred was set free.

"Alfred, you need to get out of here," she warned.

"What of you miss?" he asked.

"I'll be fine, but you have to go! Now!" she said, grabbing her bag.

He nodded and ran to find an exit. Kari ran into the shadows, and in seconds, she came out as Batgirl. She looked up to see Timber Wolf slash a card that exploded, making him fall back. The man walked over to Timber Wolf and held up a card in his hand. She took out a batarang and threw it at the man, slicing the card in his hand before it returned to her hand. The man looked up and looked a little amused.

"Ah... I was wandering when I would meet, the lovely miss Batgirl," the man said.

"You know my name, but I hardly know yours," she said, coldly towards him.

"My name is The Hatter, ancestor of-"

"The Mad Hatter, I know," Batgirl said. "What I want to know is what you're doing here."

"Me? Why... there is something in this museum that I want," the Hatter said, sounding playful. "Something... extremely valuable."

Batgirl narrowed her eyes when she figured out what he wanted.

"You're not going to get your hands on that. I won't let you!" she growled.

"You won't be able to stop me," Hatter said, as he took out three playing cards and threw them at her.

She dodged them all, and threw two shurikens at him. He ducked, and ran out of the room. She growled and ran after him. They entered the main hall, and she saw that Superman was holding his own with the cards. She looked to see that the Hatter was running towards the belt. He punched the glass and grabbed the belt. He held it up as he examind it.

"Beautiful," he whispered.

She growled and threw bolas at him, it wrapping around his legs. He lost his balance and fell to the ground, the belt falling a few feet from him. He took out a cards and sliced the rope. Her eyes widened, before they slitted. The Hatter got up.

"I will not go down so easily," he said.

She growled.

"Then I'll make you go down the hard way," she said.

"Try," he said, throwing a card at her.

She moved to dodge it, but it moved with her and cut her right arm. It beld but she paid no mind to it. She took out a batarang and threw it at him. The Hatter ducked and stood up with a smirk. Batgirl was the one that smirked. The batarang came up behind him, and blew up. The explosion behind him was powerful, making him fall forward. Batgirl held up her cape, protecting herself from the explosion. When she drew back her cape, she looked to see that the Hatter was being consumed from clay that appeared from underneath him.

Before she could grab him, he was gone. She growled, but noticed a piece of clay on the ground. She picked it up with a tweaser, and placed it in a small baggy. Superman and an injuried Timber Wolf walked over to her. She turned and looked at them.

"Who was that guy?" Superman asked.

"He called himseld the Hatter, guessing to be the Mad Hatters successor," Batgirl said.

"What did he want anyways?" Timber Wolf asked.

Batgirl turned and grabbed the belt from the ground, turning and showing it to the others.

"This," she said.

--

Kari, Superman, and Timber Wolf were standing in Brainy's lab, watching him examine the fighting scene from the museum's video camera's that Kari was able to hack into. Kari had wrapped up her wound. Brainy was primarily interested in why Hatter wanted the belt, and how he disappeared. When the tape was over, he turned and looked over at them.

"Do you have the belt with you?" Brainy asked.

Kari carefully grabbed the belt and handed it over to him. He held it in his hands and looked it over.

"Why would Hatter want a thing like that?" Timber Wolf asked.

"It may be ancient technology, but the weapons were very powerful," Brainy said. "In the wrong hands, anyone can reverse the affect and weild it to how they want it to be used."

He narrowed his eyes in thought. He then got up and handed it back to Kari.

"Kari, you're in charge of it," he said.

"Why me?" she asked.

"Do you really want me to list the reasons?" he asked, the teasing hidden in his voice.

She smirked.

"I do notice a pattern though," Brainy said, becoming serious once again.

"And that is?" Superman asked.

"Whenever we try to take the villains away, clay comes and takes the villains somewhere else," Brainy said. "I have a feeling, that whoever is behind this, knows what he or she is doing."

This made Timber Wolf, Superman, and Kari tense.

"Don't tell anyone else what I've said until I am absolutly positive about what I've said," Brainy warned recieving a nod from the three.

"Brainy, I do have this strange feeling," Kari said, a little sheepishly.

"What's that?" he asked.

She looked down, her eyes in thought.

"I don't know why, but I have this strange feeling that they didn't want the belt _exactly_, but maybe... they wanted something else, something... inside the belt," Kari said.

Brainy gave a small grunt then nodded.

"You might be right," he said. "Either way, we need to keep the belt away from others hands."

"Oh!" Kari said, remembering something important, "I need to see if Alfred's alright!"

She ran out of the room, pushing buttons on her BatCom.

--

The Hatter woke up on the cold floor to see the room around him was dimly lit. He got up, and looked to see four eyes behind him. Out of the shadows was Clayface and Scarecrow.

"Welcome Hatter," the voice said, making Hatter quickly look at him with fearful eyes. "I've been expecting you..."

To be continued ...

--

Me: Yeah, I finished my seventh chapter. I am proud of myself because I am starting to make the chapters longer! I hope the fighting scene didn't suck. So, what's in store for Hatter? And when will the Legion find out about the Legion of Doom? And... what made Kari think that Hatter didn't want the belt itself? Is there something more valuable than Batman's belt? Please continue to read to find out what will happen next. Please review.


	8. Cat's Night Out

Disclaimer: Me: Hi everyone. Here's Chapter Eight everyone. _**HAPPY MOTHER'S DAY!!**_

Title: Bat of the Future

Author: AnimeGirl 144

Chapter 8: Cat's Night Out

--

It was early morning in New Gotham. The sun was barely over the hills, so it was a little dark. The sound of a jewelry store being robbed is what awokened the city. The robbers were stupid enough to not bring a getaway car, so they ran on foot. They ran into a dark alley and watched as a nearby police car flew by. The two smirked and began to run down the alley. The one in the front hit something and fell back on his butt. He and his friend looked up to see what they ran into.

"Batgirl!" the two said frighteningly.

She glared at them. Her cape was over her body, mimicing Batman.

"Isn't it a little early for a shopping spree?" she said darkly.

Slowly but surely, she was beginning to become more and more like her ancestor.

The one that fell got up, but she grabbed him by the shoulder and threw him into a nearby dumpster. The lids closed over him. Batgirl turned and looked to see the other guy about to turn out of the alley. She took out her goo-gun and shot it at the guy's feet, making him trap in the foam and he fell forward. He was holding the bag with the stolen items in it, the bag fell infront of him, out of his arm's length. Batgirl picked up the bag. She looked when she heard the police alarms; two cars appeared infront of the alleyway. Out of the cars stepped an old man with white hair, known to everyone in New Gotham as Commissioner Gordon. (Me: I had to put him in here, since it adds to the Batman theme!)

"Alright, what's going on here?" he demanded as the police officers cornered in on the alleyway.

(I never understood, why didn't the law like Batman?)

Batgirl threw the bag to the Commissioner, who caught it and looked through it. His men closed in on the two men, and even had the nerves to point their guns at Batgirl.

"Put down your guns men. Cuff up the the two men, not Batgirl," Gordon said, irritation in his voice.

Batgirl had been taking down robbers for a while now, so Gordon considered her an ally to the law and a hero to the city. The police officers slowly lowered their guns. Batgirl wordlessly nodded her head towards the Commissioner before taking out her grapple gun and shot it to her Batmobile that flew in the sky. She got inside and headed back to the tower. Gordon watched her take off before looking back at his men.

"I said put those men in cuffs! Stop daydreaming and cuff them up!" Gordon yelled.

Back at the tower, Batgirl walked into the lounge.

"Where were you?" Cosmic Boy asked from the couch.

She looked over at him to see he was scowling at her.

"I was in Gotham. A robbery happened and-"

"A robbery? Kari, you're part of the Legion, meaning you are above robberies," Cosmic Boy scolded.

Batgirl glared at him. How dare he use her name like that!

"But I'm not above helping citizens and protecting Gotham, Rokk!" Batgirl growled.

Cosmic Boy was surprised that she knew his name. Cham unsuspectably walked in at the wrong time, and was able to catch on that there was a fight going on in the room.

"-What if someone was killed during the robbery?" Batgirl shot back.

"Well someone wasn't," Cosmic Boy said.

"Well what _**if**_! We're sworn to protect people!" Batgirl shot back.

Cosmic Boy sighed.

"Kari, you have a duty to the Legion when you became a member," Cosmic Boy said, trying to sound calm.

"I have a duty to the people of Gotham and Earth when I became Batgirl," Batgirl shot back, taking off her mask so when she glared at him, he could see how angry she was. "And if you're too damn high and mighty to see that, then you're a bigger idiot than I thought!"

She stomped off. Cosmic Boy was a bit speechless. She walked past Cham, not even giving Cham a look. Cham watched her walk down the hall till the door slid closed. He looked back at Cosmic Boy.

"I have _never_ seen her that angry before," Cham said.

Cosmic Boy sent him a glare before walking off. Cham watched him walk off.

"What? What did I do wrong?" he asked.

--

Kari huffed as she took off her Batgirl suit and belt and placed them on her dresser, next to the belt in a special container in her room. She placed on a black spagetti shirt and a pink skirt with pink shoes and took out the scruntche in her hair. She walked over to the computer and typed some stuff in. She read through some of the information on the computer screen and was looking through the bios of some of Batman's villains.

A knock on her door snapped her out of her two hour studying of the villains. She swerved in her computer chair and looked over at the door. She got up, and walked over to the door, pressing a button to slide it open. On the other side of the door was Triplicate Girl, in her one form.

"Hey there Kari," Trip said.

"Hey Trip," Kari said, moving aside to allow Triplicate Girl in.

Triplicate Girl didn't move.

"Hey, me and Phantom Girl were wandering if you wanted to come with us and Saturn Girl out for a girl's night out!" Trip said.

Kari was about to say no, but stopped and thought about it. If she went, she could bond better with the girls, _and _this would piss Cosmic Boy off. She smiled and nodded.

"Sure, give me a second and I'll be ready to go," Kari said.

Triplicate Girl nodded, and she took off to get Saturn Girl and Phantom Girl. Kari walked back into her room and grabbed her black handbag. She stuffed her Batgirl suit in it, her belt, and she placed her BatCom in her pocket. (Yes, the skirt has a pocket) She grabbed some cash and placed it in her pocket. She walked out of her door and saw Phantom Girl, Triplicate Girl, and Saturn Girl coming her way.

Phantom Girl wore a black long sleeve shirt, white pants, and white shoes. Triplicate Girl was in her one form. She wore an orange cap (that hid part of her hair), a purple shirt, white skirt, and white boots. Saturn Girl had her hair up in a ponytail and wore a pink short sleeve shirt with white capris and white shoes.

"You ready?" Phantom Girl asked, her voice sounding with happiness.

Kari nodded. They walked down the hall and out of the tower. They walked down the streets of New Metroplois, till they came to the main shopping area of the city. Saturn Girl, standing at the end of the right side, looked at Phantom Girl, who was walking next to her.

"So, what's a 'girl's night out'?" she asked.

Kari started chuckling.

"You need this girl's night out more than I do!" Kari said.

"It's just where we have a great time, with no boys allowed!" Phantom Girl said.

"Oh," Saturn Girl replied, still trying to grasp the idea of 'girl's night out'.

Triplicate Girl stopped and squealed.

"Oh look! Let's go in here!" she said, running into the store with an enthustiastic Phantom Girl running behind her.

Kari and Saturn Girl looked at each other with a shrug. They walked into the store. On top of a building across from the store the four Legion girls walked into was a figure that smirked as her blue eyes sparkled with amusement. Inside the store, Kari watched as Phantom Girl and Triplicate Girl looked through clothes for Saturn Girl. Kari smirked, but an uneasy feeling came over her. She looked out the window, and swore she saw a figure run from the top ceiling. She narrowed her eyes and looked back over at her three other female commrads. She chuckled when she saw the look on Saturn Girl's face.

This was going to be a long, yet fun, day.

--

It was nearing five o'clock, and Kari wasn't tired. Her friends had bags on their arms. She didn't have any, because nothing really seemed to catch her attention. She looked back over her shoulder, swearing that she thought someone was following her.

"Hey look!" Phantom Girl said, making Kari look back at her.

"What?" Kari asked.

Phantom Girl was pointing at a building, and Triplicate Girl's eyes lit up.

"Yea! Let's go there!" she said.

Saturn Girl was confused at what the two were talking about, and when Kari saw what the building was, she shot them a deadly glare.

"What the heck are you two thinking?! We're not suppose to go in there!" she said.

"What is that anyways?" Saturn Girl asked.

Kari walked over to Saturn Girl and whispered the answer in her ear. Saturn Girl glared at the other two.

"You both know better than that! You're suppose to make people look up to you, not set bad examples!" Saturn Girl scolded.

The two girls rolled their eyes.

"You two are no fun!" they whined.

Kari felt something, as she breathed in a bit quickly. Saturn Girl looked over at her.

"What's wrong Kari?"

"We should..." she looked around and found a building, "...we should go in there. _Now!_"

The three shrugged and followed Kari into the building. They then followed her into the female's restroom, where no one was in it, and no cameras were around.

"What's wrong Kari?" Phantom Girl asked.

"I had this bad feeling, like we were being followed," Kari answered.

"So what, we're heroes," Trip said.

"Yeah, but we're not in our HERO FORMS!!" Kari yelled.

"Oh right," Triplicate Girl said.

"Then we better change and see who's following us," Saturn Girl said, digging into her pink handbag for her suit.

The four walked into the stalls, and came out moments later, wearing their costumes.

"Let's go!" Phantom Girl said.

The four ran out of the restroom and Batgirl heated the door shut, so no one could get in. They ran out of the store, getting surprised gasps by shoppers, and appeared outside the store. They heard a giggle from atop the building they just came out of. They looked up, just as the figure jumped down.

"I was wandering when I would get to fight you," the female said.

The four got into their fighting stances as they looked their opponent over. The girl wore all black, and her suit looked almost like Batgirl's, minus the cape, the belt, and bat. Her turtleneck went up over her mouth, but she had pulled it down, so you could see her smirk. Her mask was over her hair and had ears like a cats with yellowish goggles over her blue eyes. Her shirt went over her black pants, making it look like skirt, and a cat tail. She held her whip in her right hand.

"And you are-?" Phantom Girl said.

"Name's Catgirl," Catgirl walked forward a bit.

"Why are you here?" Saturn Girl asked.

"Well, I was thinking of stealing some cat stuff, but thought of stealing from someone, but then, you four show up. So, I have to fight you now," she said cunningly.

Triplicate Girl and Phantom Girl flew over to her and was about to kick her, but she grabbed both their legs with her whip and threw them. Both flew and hit the side of a building. Saturn Girl placed her hands to the side of her head, her eyes glowing pink, and sending a psychic wave at Catgirl. Catgirl stumbled back a bit. She took out some pelts and threw it at Saturn Girl. Smoke came from them, giving her a getaway chance. She ran but ran into Batgirl and stumbled back a bit. Batgirl glared at her.

"You weren't honestly going to leave," she said, kicking Catgirl.

Catgirl stumbled back somemore, and caught her breath. She jumped out of the way, dodging Batgirl's punch. Batgirl took out a batarang and threw it at her. It sliced her left shoulder, but Catgirl used Batgirl's own weapon against her. She threw it at Batgirl. Batgirl ducked, but the batarang came around and hit her in the back. Batgirl stumbled foreward.

"Awwhh, is the little bat hurt?" she teased with a smirk.

Batgirl looked up with a smirk. She bent down and did a quick sweep, knocking Catgirl on her back. Batgirl placed her foot on her stomach.

"What's the matter? Cat got your tounge?" Batgirl teased.

Catgirl "meowed" as she grabbed Batgirl's foot and threw her against a wall. Catgirl got onto her feet and was about to throw a catarang, when her _own_ whip wrapped around her wrist. She turned with a hiss to see Triplicate Girl holding the hem of the whip.

"Kitty needs to play nice, otherwise, kitty's going to get a time out!" Triplicate Girl said, fazing into her three forms.

Catgirl hissed.

"Don't toy with me!" she hissed as she thrust her wrist, her whip and the three holding it flying to the side.

The three forms of Triplicate Girl let go and slid on the ground. Phantom Girl flew over and was about to punch her, but Catgirl's claws grew sharp and she scratched Phantom Girl on the chest. Phantom Girl stumbled back, and Saturn Girl flew over her, then used a psychic attack on Catgirl. Batgirl took out a batbola and threw at Catgirl's feet, but she jumped, and the bola wrapped around Phantom Girl's ankles, making her fall back. Catgirl turned and quickly threw some smoke pelts on the ground, causing smoke to fill the area. Everyone coughed, and Batgirl took out her BatDefog and it took in all the smoke. They looked to see that Catgirl was missing.

"Where'd she go?" Phantom Girl asked, after Batgirl cut the batbola.

"She got away, probably back to where she came from," Batgirl said.

"That... was... so... COOL!!" a familiar voice shouted.

Everyone turned and looked to see Lucas walking their way. His video camera was in his hand.

"Lucas, how did you get here?!" Batgirl said.

"Well, my mom dragged me here for some kind of a sell, and then I saw you guys, so I quickly video taped it," Lucas explained. "I have to say, Catgirl is _**hot!**_"

Batgirl rolled her eyes under her mask.

"Even though she's a villain, she's _**so**_ out of _your_ league," Batgirl said.

The four girls walked back to the store and got inside the restroom, changing into their civilian clothing, grabbed their bags, and walked out of the store and back on the street.

"I can't believe you stole Lucas's video camera," Triplicate Girl said.

"What's not to believe? Brainy will want to see it, so we can log another villain in," Batgirl said.

"True," Trip said.

"I wander what happened to Catgirl," Phantom Girl said, wandering mostly to herself.

Back in the shopping center, Catgirl was leaning against a wall. She took in deep breaths before clay began to form on the wall next to her. She turned her head and saw the formation of Clayface began to form, before it finally formed. Catgirl glared at him.

"What do you want?" she hissed.

Clayface said nothing. He lifted his hand and wrapped it around Catgirl.

"Hey, get off me!" Catgirl said, struggling as the clay over took her body.

It fully engoulfed her. When she was free of the clay, she saw she was in a dimly lit room, and Clayface took his side by the shadowy figure. She took in deep breaths, before standing up and looking around at the other members of the Legion of Doom. She looked at the shadowy figure with a raised eyebrow.

"Where am I?" she asked, a hint of anger in her voice.

"Where you belong... my dear..." the figure said, as a visible (if that was possible) smirk appeared. "The Legion of Doom."

--

Kari walked out of Brainy's lab room and down the hall to her room. It was a long day, and if she wanted to live the rest of her life, she would need to not get herself killed, and get some rest. She was close to her room when she saw Cosmic Boy come her way. She was still pissed off by what he said earlier, so she decided to ignore him, and pretend she didn't seem him.

He did.

He grabbed Kari by the elbow, making her stop and open her eyes and look at him, trying to pull off a glare. Cosmic Boy sighed.

"You were right Kari," he said. "I was so used to just fighting villains that could actually... hurt people, that I forgot even the smallest of villains can harm someone."

Kari smirked, but it disappeared as she sighed.

_"Darn! Why do __**I **__feel guilty?"_ she thought.

"Yeah, well...(sigh) I shouldn't have yelled at you, you just want everyone here to be ready if something big happens," she said, looking away so she wouldn't make eye contact with him.

But out of the corner of her eyes, she could see him smile a bit. She blushed when she realized he was still holding her elbow. Her blush disappeared as she looked at him with her eyes slitted. There was no way she was going to allow him to see a weakness. No way.

"Cosmic Boy," she said.

"Yea?" he asked.

"Let go of my elbow," she said, her eyebrows raised.

Cosmic Boy blushed light pink and he quickly let go of her elbow. She shook her head with a small chuckle escaping her lips.

"See ya later," she said, walking back down the hall before he even had a chance to start or finish a sentence.

He stood there for a little bit more, looking at his hand and blushing a bit more. He quickly walked down the hall, fighting down his blush.

To be continued ...

--

Me: Yeah, I finished my eightth chapter. I still don't know how much longer until I'm finished with this fic, but I hope I make a lot of the chapters long. I also hope the fighting scene didn't suck too much. And still, when will the Legion find out about the Legion of Doom? Is there anything between Kari and Cosmic Boy? Please continue to read to find out what will happen next. Please review.


	9. The Flowering Fundraiser

Disclaimer: Me: Hi everyone. Here's Chapter Nine everyone.

Title: Bat of the Future

Author: AnimeGirl 144

Chapter 9: The Flowering Fundraiser

--

Kari woke up with a yawn as she stretched out her arms. A small pop came from the stretch, but nothing too serious. She got out of bed and walked over to her computer. She looked into her inbox to see that Alfred had left her a message. She clicked on it, and read through it. Her eyebrows twitched.

_"No, not a fundraiser,"_ she thought.

She sighed and walked over to her closet. If Cosmic Boy didn't like her taking down rookie bad guys, wait till he hears that she has to go to a fundraiser! She took out a black shirt with many white circles that looked like the top-half of a kimono, black sweats with a breathable black mini skirt over it and white dress slippers. She placed a white headband in her hair.

She grabbed her black backpack and placed in her Batgirl suit and her belt inside of it. She grabbed her BatCom and placed it in her bag. She turned off her computer, quickly made her bed, then walked out of the room and down the hall. She turned the corner, and saw Cham. Cham waved at her.

"Morning Kari," he said.

"Morning Cham," Kari said, smiling halfway.

"Where are you going?" he asked, knowing she would be Kari if she was going somewhere.

Kari sighed.

"I have to go to a fundraiser," she said.

He rose an eyebrow.

"You don't like fundraisers?" Cham asked.

"No, I don't mind them. They're for a good cause," Kari explained, "I just hate how _long _they are."

Cham chuckled a bit.

"Well, hope you have a fun time. What's the fundraiser?" he asked.

"Something about Earth Day," Kari replied. "So it's probably for the enviroment and stuff."

"Sounds cool," Cham said.

"I hope so," Kari said. "Well, I've got to get going. Alfred's waiting."

She walked past him and out of the tower. Cham stopped smiling after she left.

"This is not going to be fun," he said as he walked toawrds the lounge. "She will be _very_ mad."

--

Kari sighed as she took a sip of the juice that was once on the table. She had been here an hour, and it was already getting boring. They dress up some poor guy in an ancient earth costume. She took another long sip of her drink when another person walked over to the table. The person had long light brown hair that went to her waist. She wore a plain green dress. She grabbed the drink and took a sip, then sighed.

"I was hoping this would have wrapped up minutes ago," the person said.

"Same here," Kari said. "I like helping out, but not when it's _this_ long!"

"Yes, but at least all of the profits are going towards saving the rain forest," the person said.

"Thank goodness we didn't screw _that_ up!" Kari said.

"Amen," the person said. "By the way, my name is Rhena Leaf."

"Kari Wayne," Kari said.

"You're well known Miss Wayne for your help with children, animals, and the enviroment," Rhena said.

Kari shrugged.

"I go to any fundraiser that doesn't try to destroy this world," Kari said, sipping again.

"That, I think _I _can toast too," a new voice said.

The two girls turned and saw a new figure walking up to the table of drinks. She smiled at them.

"Name's Kiley Nats," the new one said.

"Rhena Trust."

"Kari Wayne."

"Nice to meet both of you," Kiley said.

Kari looked back over at the dressed up man and sighed.

"When will this all stop?" she groaned.

"I asked the people running this thing," Kiley said, almost in a whisper, "they said it'll end in an hour."

"Agh! I'm going to loose my hair by then!" Kari said, keeping her voice in check.

She opened her eyes and looked into the shadows. She saw something in it move. She narrowed her eyes, because she swore she saw an antena move. The two girls looked and saw her glare.

"Is everything okay?" Rhena calmly asked.

"Yeah, I just...uh...have to go see something," Kari said, as she quickly walked away.

The two other girls looked at each other and shrugged. Kari walked over to the shadows, and saw that the shadow in it tried to run.

"Stay," Kari growled.

The shadow stopped and stood still.

"Come here," she growled.

The shadow silently, and slowly, walked over to here. She was standing there, her arms crossed. Cham walked out of the shadow and looked up at her with a nervous smile.

"He-hey there Kari," he said.

She glared at him more, and he suddenly realized why the bad guys in New Gotham were suddenly afraid of her.

"Why are you here?" she asked.

"Well... this is the largest gathering of orginaztion people and so, we're here to make sure no one will attack it," Cham said.

"You said 'we', making that a plural. Who else is here?" she said, holding in her growl.

He gulped nervously.

"Um... me, Cosmic Boy, Brainy, and Superman," he said, making it sound more like a question rather than an answer.

He braced himself for her fury, but was surprised to hear her turn and walk away. He popped an eye open and watched her walk off.

_"She didn't yell at me? This can't be good,"_ he thought.

Cosmic Boy, on top of the nearest building, watched her walk off. Brainy, who was also on the rooftop, noticed she didn't relent her fury on Cham. He knew she didn't like it when people watched her like this, because she said it made her feel like she was being baby-sat.

"She didn't yell at Cham," Cosmic Boy said. "That doesn't make sense."

"She's saving her energy and anger for when she sees you," Brainy said.

Cosmic Boy didn't seem to care, as he continued to look around, waiting for anyone to attack. When he looked back at Kari, who was talking to Rhena and Kiley, he swore he saw her glare up at him.

--

"DID YOU REALLY THINK I NEEDED TO BE BABYSAT?!" she yelled the minute the Legion returned to the tower.

Cham, Superman, and Brainy were behind Cosmic Boy and Kari, and Kari was letting him have it. Cosmic Boy looked a little annoyed, but Kari looked ready to kill someone, so the other three knew to keep their distance.

"We weren't there to protect you specifically, we were there to make sure no one attacked any of the fundraisers," Cosmic Boy said calmly.

Kari growled at him. She fought back the urge to hit him, but the siren went off, making everyone look. Brainy ran to COMPUTO with the others following. He typed in. A picture of a green haired woman appeared on the screen.

"Who's that?" Cham asked.

"Don't know, but we'll find out," Cosmic Boy said.

Kari took out her BatCom and pushed the screen.

"Kari, get dress and we'll meet you at the coordniates," Cosmic Boy said.

Kari walked out of the room, quickly changed into her Batgirl costume and got into her Batmobile and flew off to first pick up Lucas, then head to the coordniates where the other members should have been. When they arrived, the two saw Cham get thrown into a wall by a vine.

The girl that was controlling the vines smirked.

"This is all the Legion offers?" she asked.

Superman used his heat ray vision on a vine, making it dry up, but a new one grew in it's place. Cosmic Boy used his powers and moved a steel rod and threw towards the controller of the vines, but a vine came up, grabbed it, and threw it back at Cosmic Boy. He dodged it. Kari took out a batarang and threw it at the girl. It successfully hit her arm, slicing it a bit. Blood came out from it.

"Batgirl," the girl said, turning her attention to her. "So nice to see you. You were the one I wanted to talk to. I would like to inform you and the Legion of my name, Rose Thorn."

"Why's that?" she asked, trying to distract her.

"Well, first of all, I'd wish to know why you fight along side boys? All they do is destroy the enviroment, unlike girls," Rose Thorne said.

Batgirl fought back the urge to give a comeback that would have sounded like 'Kari'.

"Last time I check, men and women aren't so different," Batgirl said.

"Oh but they are," Rose Thorne said. "For one thing, a woman can tell when a man is about to attack."

Batgirl's eyes widened, as she watched the vines hit Cosmic Boy, Cham, and Superman. All of them fell to the ground with an "woomph", and the vines pushed pressure on them.

_"Where's Brainy?"_ she thought.

"You see, I am much smarter than a human would think I am," Rose Thorne said.

"But can you out smart a machine?" Brainy said.

Rose Thorne turned her head, about to defend herself, but it was too late. His shot hit her, making her fly off her vines on the ground. The vines dried up instintly. She got up, rose her hand, but nothing happened.

"My vines?! But... how?" Rose said.

Brainy and Batgirl was standing over the hurt villain.

"I was sure that one day, we might be attacked by nature, so I kept a repel shot in my cannons, just incase," Brainy said. "It should stall your power for atleast thirty minutes."

Before Brainy and Batgirl could do anything, a catarang flew down and hit both of them, making them stumble back. They looked to see Catgirl infront of Rose Thorne.

"Catgirl!" Batgirl hissed.

"As fun as it would be to be here and catch up on old times, I have to get going," Catgirl said, bending down and picked up Rose Thorne and throwing her over her shoulder. "And she's coming with me,"

She took out her catgrapple and shot it to the building she came down from, then took off.

"Should we follow them?" Batgirl asked.

"No, I think they will be gone before we can catch up to them," Brainy said. "Besides, we need to help the others."

Batgirl looked over, and saw Lucas picking up Cham.

"Those vines were _that_ hard?" Batgirl asked.

"More than you know," he said.

She sighed and walked over to Superman, and picked him up, but he was heavy! Brainy smirked.

"Do you want to switch?" Brainy asked.

She glared at him. There was no way she was going to touch Cosmic Boy. She scoffed and dragged Superman to the Batmobile and threw him in the backseat.

"Uh..." Lucas said.

Batgirl walked over to Lucas, slid the ring off her finger, then placed it on Lucas.

"There, now you can fly," she said. "And please don't hit any buildings."

He nodded, and followed after Brainy, though he was having a bit of trouble. Batgirl got into the mobile and took off back to the tower. She heard Superman stir from his sleep. He opened his eyes and looked around. He then looked at Batgirl.

"Where are we going?" he asked, a bit sleepy.

"Back to the tower. Rose Thorne and Catgirl got away," Batgirl said.

"Catgirl?" he asked.

"I'll explain another time," she said.

"So, where did they go?" he asked.

"Who knows," she said, looking off into a space a bit.

--

Catgirl landed on a rooftop and placed Rose Thorne down. Rose Thorne looked up at her with a small glare.

"Where have you taken me?" she demanded.

"You might want to take in a deep breath," Catgirl said, completely ignoring Rose's demand.

Before Thorne could ubject, clay began to form around her and Catgirl, forming a ball around the two girls. In a second, the two appeared in the dimly lit room, and the clay returned to the form of Clayface. Catgirl stepped back as Rose Thorne stood up. She looked around with a glare.

"Welcome my dear," the figure said.

"What do you want?" she spat.

"I wished to invite you to the Legion of Doom," the shadow figure said. "This is where we can all meet together and... plan the way to destroy the Legion of Superheroes."

Rose crossed her arms as her face continued with the disgusted look.

"Why should I take orders from _you_?" she asked.

"Because..." he said, leaning in closer.

His smirk made her want to stand back because of how evilly scary it looked.

"...I am the only one who is strong enough to take them on," he continued. "Once the Legion of Doom expands, we'll be able to take them on... and **CRUSH** them!"

Rose Thorne took a step back, before closing her eyes and nodding, actting as if she had no other choice.

"Okay, I'll join," she said, not daring to look into his eyes.

He smirked.

"Good, my dear," he said. "You have made a wise choice..."

--

Cosmic Boy woke up to see himself facing the ceiling. He blinked before sitting up. Brainy was by him at the nearest computer, typing something in. Superman and Lucas were on some chairs nearby, discussing about the game soccer. Kari, her mask off, was wrapping white bandages around Cham's arm; just above the elbow, but below the shoulder. During the fight, a vine wrapped itself around his arm and caused it to bleed, but it wasn't something the Legion couldn't take care of.

He looked down to see his shirt was off, reaviling his bare chest and 4-pac abs, though a bandage was wrapped around the abs, so you couldn't see it. He blushed a bit, considering that Kari was in the room. Of course, she didn't seem to care, or notice for the matter.

"Good, you're awake," Brainy said.

Cosmic Boy looked from Kari to Brainy, who's lip was in a line. Cosmic Boy nodded. Superman and Lucas looked over to see that he was awake. Cosmic Boy looked out of the corner of his eye to see that Kari hadn't even looked. She didn't even look like she cared. He placed a hand on his bandages, knowing that probably _none_ of the other guys in here could do this. Still, he had to ask...

"Who-?" he began.

"Kari bandaged you up," Brainy answered.

Cosmic Boy blushed when he realized she had been touching his chest. Lucas started laughing, and Kari must have picked up on what Lucas was laughing about because he laughed like that when _she_ was blushing that way. Cosmic Boy could tell she was mad because as she was holding the bandages tightly. He feared she would snap it in half. Now he wouldn't admit it, but when girls were mad, he was deathly afraid of them. Around the tower, it was rule #1: Don't mess with the angry girls! Brainy rolled his eyes, and Superman looked a bit confused.

Kari stood up quickly, almost knocking the chair over, and slammed the tape on the bed, but not hard enough to make it bounce or wake up Cham. She turned and walked towards the door. Cosmic Boy saw the pink blush tinted on her cheeks. She was probably pissed off because they were making fun of her, a little. She walked to the door, and was about to walk out when...

"Kari," Cos said, making her stop. "Thanks."

She didn't turn to look at him, but he swore he saw her mouth wordlessly: "No problem." She quickly walked out of the room and down the hall to her room, her cheeks returning to their color. Cosmic Boy smiled a bit, which confused the others.

"Why are you smiling Cosmic Boy?" Lucas asked.

"Oh! No reason!" he said quickly.

Brainy rolled his eyes again, _knowing_ why he smiled, because he can read lips too! He just decided to not tell anyone about. He shooed Superman and Lucas out of the medbay and told Cosmic Boy that he could leave if he wanted to. Cosmic Boy sat in there a few more minutes then looked over at Cham. He wasn't too damaged, but he could see bandages on Cham's right arm, stomach, and left leg. Before Kari got to the fight, Cham did his best, but was hurt. He laied back down, too exhasuted to leave the room. Before he closed his eyes, he swore he saw a pair of red eyes looking at him...in the shadows.

To be continued ...

--

Me: Yeah, I finished my nineth chapter. Sorry if I'm making Kari sound mean and stuff! I'll work harder to not make her that way. Now, something's starting off. And if you don't like who I'm pairing Kari up with, then next time... tell me who she could have gone with! Red eyes... shadow... ice cream... woops! Sorry, I've just been craving some ice cream! Now, who are Catgirl and Rose Thorne? I've given you hints, but along, you must give me the villains I based them on! Please continue to read, and please, please, _please_ review.


	10. More to the Belt

Disclaimer: Me: Hi everyone. Here's Chapter Ten everyone. Also, the grandfather clock is different then the others. I know that in the Batman: AS, it moved to the side; and in Batman: Beyond, he opened the clock like a door. So, this one is different. You have been warned. Also, to Arden Anam the girl you were thinking of was Poison Ivy! Thanks for reviewing! Dream writing.

Title: Bat of the Future

Author: AnimeGirl 144

Chapter 10: More to the Belt

--

Kari took off her Batgirl suit and threw it on her computer chair. She placed on her pjs and sighed as she flopped herself under the covers. She sighed and looked over at the belt. She narrowed her eyes, trying to see something she never saw before, but she saw nothing. She shrugged and closed her eyes, falling into the dark.

**Kari's Dream:**

Kari walked through the darkness, just like her one nightmare. But this was different. She felt like she knew where she was going, even when she didn't. Her eyes widened with a gasp with the famous black bat symbol was infront of her. She pressed her palm against it, and a blinding light flashed. When she opened her eyes, she was on infront of an old grandfather clock. She blinked, then felt something in her palm. She looked down and saw a small key in her hand. Her eyes widened more.

"How did this get in here?" she asked herself.

She saw a small keyhole, just the size as the key. Her hand automatically reached out, and stuck the key in the hole, and a beeping sound came on. The grandfather clock moved to the side, and an opening was behind it. Her eyes widened as she looked down into the darkness. Stone steps (or rock steps) led downwards, but to where, she had no idea. She took in a deep breath, then placed her foot on the first step.

Kari's eyes snapped open. Her eyes wandered around the place, and she was back in her room. She rubbed her eyes as she sat up, before reviewing her dream. It all looked so... real. She blinked, before looking back into her palm. Nothing... no key. She looked at the palm sadly, before sighing and getting up.

_"I haven't been back at Wayne Enterprise's in a long time, and Alfred probably would like some company, aside from the robot,"_ she thought as she walked over to her closet and pulled out some clothing.

She placed on her normal clothes and only grabbed a small backpack for anything she might need. She already and regular clothing at home, as well as Batgirl clothing. She just placed her batbelt into her backpack. She placed it on her back, about to leave, when she saw the other belt. She thought about it for a second, and carefully placed it into her belt.

_"That dream meant something, I'm sure of it,"_ she thought to herself.

She walked out of her room and into the medbay. She looked in to see the Cham was still asleep in his bed. She looked over at Cosmic Boy's bed, but he wasn't in it. She rose an eyebrow, but shrugged it off. On a counter in the room, she grabbed the datapad and began to quickly write on it. She left it on Cham's bed and walked away. She walked out of the tower, running into no other Legionnaires and walked to the Batmobile. She got inside, and took off back to her company's building. She landed it, then walked inside, recieving confusing "Good Morning's". She walked into the elevator, then went to her floor. When she arrived inside, she saw her robot clone playing a video game.

"Miss Kari," Alfred said. "What a suprise."

"Hello Alfred," Kari replied as she placed back her bag in her room.

Alfred pressed a datapad and the robot stood up, walked into the closet, and turned off. Kari went to the fruit bowl and grabbed an apple.

"So Miss, how did the fundraiser go?" Alfred asked.

"Okay," Kari said, pushing the boring event out of her mind.

"And what of this Rose Thorne and Catgirl?" Alfred asked.

Kari looked up at him with a raised eyebrow.

"Master Lucas was very excited," Alfred replied.

"Awwwhh," Kari said, taking another bite of her apple. "It went okay, but Rose Thorne's vines are something to _**not**_mess with."

"I see," Alfred said. "Does the Legion know you are here?"

He knew that she rarely told people where she was going. She shrugged.

"Should know, I left them a note telling them where I was," Kari said.

--

Back at the tower, Phantom Girl flew over to Kari's door and knocked on it excidently.

"Kari!! Kari!!" Phantom Girl called, almost sounding like she was singing it.

Silence. Phantom Girl rose an eyebrow.

"Kari?" she asked.

She overrode the lock system and allowed herself in. She floated inside to see that Kari wasn't in the room.

"Kari? Kari!" Phantom Girl called.

No answer. Phantom Girl flew out of the room and down the hall to the lounge. She flew in to see Brainy at COMPUTO, and Timber Wolf watching some tv with Cosmic Boy.

"Has anyone seen Kari?" Phantom Girl asked.

Cosmic Boy's head shot up at her.

"She's missing?" he asked.

"No, I can't find her," Phantom Girl said, correcting him.

"Which means she's missing," Timber Wolf said.

"Whatever!" Phantom Girl fumed. "All I know is that I can't find her and I was wandering if she wanted to come see a movie with me and Dream Girl."

"And she would do that, why...?" Timber Wolf said, making fun of her.

"Because she's not a jerk like you!" Phantom Girl shouted, making him stop teasing her.

"Okay, we'll go look for her," Cosmic Boy said, getting ready to get up.

Suddenly, the door opened up behind Phantom Girl, and Cham walked in. He was holding the datapad.

"Hey guys, why did Kari go back to Wayne's Enterprise?" Cham asked.

Everyone looked at him. Phantom Girl sighed with relief, then looked at the others.

"See, told you she wasn't lost," Phantom Girl said. "She's with Alfred."

Cosmic Boy shook his head.

"We didn't know where she was... that makes her lost," Cosmic Boy said.

"No! She's lost if _no one_ knows where she is, _but_ Alfred knows where she is, and now, so do we!" Phantom Girl shot back.

"Hey! Hello!" Cham said, catching everyone's attention. "Why did Kari go back to Wayne's Enterprise? Did she leave the Legion?"

"No, she's probably just taking a quick brake," Brainy said. "She still has to run her family's business."

Cosmic Boy walked over to Cham and looked over the datapad. It read:

_To whom ever reads this,_

_I, Kari, am going back to Wayne's Enterprise for a while to help Alfred run the business. I'm worried he's a bit lonely there, so I'll be visiting. Oh, and if you're reading this Cos, DO NOT EVEN THINK OF SENDING __**ANY**__ LEGIONNAIRE OVER THERE TO WATCH ME!!_

_Kari_

Phantom Girl started laughing, since she had read the note over his shoulder.

"She really hates it when you send someone to watch her, dosen't she?!" Phantom Girl said, still laughing.

"It makes her feel like a child," Brainy stated simply. "Since she was born, her parent's company has been doing almost anything she wanted, _including_ watching over her. It annoys her because it makes her feel that no one is trusting her to be on her own."

Cosmic Boy looked at Brainy, opened his mouth, but nothing came out. He shut it quickly. Phantom Girl sighed and crossed her arms,

"Awww man! Now who can I take?" she said outloud. "Hey Cham, want to come with me and Dream Girl to the movies?"

Before Cham opened his mouth, Timber Wolf jumped up.

"Oh no you don't! You're not going to suck him into another chick-flick movie of yours," Timber Wolf said.

"It's not a chick-flick movie, Timber Wolf!" Phantom Girl shot back, her hands on her hips.

"Oh yeah? What's the movie called?" he asked smugly.

"_The Diary of the Lonely Girl_," Phantom Girl replied.

Timber Wolf smirked, which made Phantom Girl flush, before becoming angry with him and started an argument with him. Poor Cham was in the middle of it all, not being able to get away from it. Cosmic Boy looked at Brainy, who had stopped typing on COMPUTO.

"So, what should we do?" Cosmic Boy asked.

"Leave her alone. If she needs our help, then she'll call for us," Brainy answered, as he watched the fight between Phantom Girl and Timber Wolf.

--

In the dimly lit room, the only two girls in the team were sitting around, reading random magizines with Clayface watching them. He was standing next to the seat where the shadowy person would sit. This was his place. Catgirl purred.

"Ouuh, lookie here! Some of the richest people on Earth," Catgirl said.

"Who's on the list?" Rose Thorne asked.

"Let's see," Catgirl said. "It says here:_ Some of the richest people on Earth, in no order of money, are: Jay Jemi, Kiley Nats, Rhena Trust, Luna Sol, and Kari Wayne._"

Both of their eyes lingered on the word and the photo of Kari Wayne. They looked at each other with sly smirks. They looked over at Clayface, who looked indifferent.

"Hey big boy, want to run a favor for us?" Catgirl said.

Clayface ignored her.

"And why would he do that, ma'am?" the shadowy figure's voice said.

The two girls jumped and looked as he walked down the steps. He had his hands behind his back. The two girls looked at him with fake smiles.

"Oh, no reason!" Catgirl said quickly with Rose Thorne nodding in agreement.

He sat on his chair.

"Now, now. If you two have an idea, then I'd wish to hear it," he said, placing his chin on the back of his hands.

The two girls looked at each other, before looking back at the person. Rose Thorne drew in a quick breath.

"You see, Kari Wayne is one of the richest people on Earth, so that would make her easy bait for the Legion, because they wouldn't let someone with that kind of money get harmed," Rose Thorne said.

(Bad excuse, I know, but it was all I could come up with.)

The person smirked, then leaned back in his chair.

"A _very_ nice idea laides," he said, his voice almost encouraging. "If we hold her randsom, then the Legion will have to come and get her, and then we set a trap! Clayface, go later tonight to the Wayne's Enterprise building, and bring us Kari."

Clayface nodded, then walked off.

--

It was an hour after midnight, and Kari's room was silent, save for her light breathing. She was so fast asleep, that not even an earthquake could wake her up from her heavy slumber. As she slept, a bit of clay slowly oozed itself under her door and headed for her bed. She continued to peacefully sleep. The clay crawled up her bed, and was about to expand and cover her whole body when her door slid open. They clay was frightened, and quickly moved out of the way. Alfred walked in as the last of the clay disappeared.

"Miss Kari," Alfred said.

Kari roused from her sleep and quickly looked over at him with sleepy eyes.

"Yes Alfred?" she asked.

He smiled.

"Wanted to make sure you were asleep. I swore I thought you were awake," he said.

"Well, I am _now_," she said, closing her eyes and going back to sleep.

He smiled at her, then walked off with the door closing behind him. The clay returned to the room, where it reattached to Clayface. The figure's lips was in a line. Catgirl growled in anger.

"Why didn't you get the girl?! It was simple!" Catgirl hissed, showing her claws.

Clayface looked unmoved.

"Easy Catgirl, more oppertunities will present themselves," the figure said. "Right now, we need to worry about the Legion of Superheroes."

--

Kari sat on the couch reading an old document book. Alfred walked in and looked at her.

"Miss, you don't read documents unless you're absolutly bored," he said.

She looked up at him and raised her eyesbrows that said "Duh!" He chuckled.

"I'll leave you be," he said, as he began to dust.

She returned to the book and turned the page, when her eyes locked onto a picture of a house... er, mansion. She blinked.

"Hey Alfred, have you ever seen this picture?" she asked.

He walked over to her.

"What picture, miss?" he asked.

"This one, of the house," she answered, pointing at it.

He bent and looked at the picture, before reading the text underneath. His eyebrows went up in surprise.

"Why... this is Wayne's Manor," he answered. "No one has been in there since... 2495!"

She "hmm"ed, then went back to the book. She turned the page, and read the text on it. Since this was documented about 2235, everyone knew Bruce Wayne was Batman, so... it was no wonder she saw the text conserning the Batcave. It just didn't say how to get in. But she felt that she knew how to get in. She began to wander her mind. Alfred took notice.

"Miss...?" he said.

She put the book down, walked into her room, and looked at the old utility belt. She brought it out on the table, and began to go through the pouches.

"Miss? Are you looking for something?" Alfred asked, standing over her.

"A key," she said. "A small key."

"Why are you doing that ma'am?" Alfred asked.

"My dream," she answered. "Something in my dream makes me believe I can get into the legendary Batcave."

Alfred blinked.

"The Batcave?" he asked.

"Sure," she said.

She gasped when she felt a small key-like shape in a pouch. She brought it out and looked at it with wide eyes. Alfred looked surprised aswell. She grabbed the batcom on the table and quickly got on the Legion frequency.

"Legion?" she said into it.

"Brainy here. What is it Batgirl?" Brainy's voice asked from the otherside.

"I need some of you guys to head to these coordniates. I'll meet you there shortly. Batgirl, out!" she turned it off, then caught another frequience.

"What is it Kari?" Lucas asked.

"Want to see some history?" she asked, her voice making it sound _very_ interesting.

"Tell me where, and I'll be there in a heartbeat!" Lucas said.

"Wayne's Manor," she said. She heard a beeping noise. "Lucas?"

She looked at it, then shook her head with a sigh. She walked to her room, changed into her Batgirl suit, placed on her utility belt, then placed the Batman's utility belt in her backpack. She walked over to Alfred and offered him a hat and the backpack. He looked at her with a raised eyebrow. She returned his gaze with a smirk and an eyebrow.

"Must I?"

"Afraid so."

--

"Why'd you call us out here Batgirl?" Cham asked, as the eight stood infront of Wayne's Manor.

The yard looked like a graveyard; dead trees, weeds everywhere, and wilted flowers. Batgirl looked at her family's house. She took in a deep breath, then looked back at the boys, but mostly at Brainy and Superman. She walked over to them.

"Brainy, remember when I said that there might be more to the belt?" she said.

The two nodded. She smirked. She then looked back at Wayne's Manor.

"I think I know why the Hatter tried stealing the belt," she said. "Inside was a key, which I believe can open up the legendary Batcave."

She could hear gaping mouths behind her.

"Th-th-th-th," Lucas kept stuttering, not begining able to find, or finish, the word.

"Yes Lucas, the Batcave," she said, turning back to her friends.

Lucas, Cham, and Bouncing Boy's had their mouths gaping open.

"Here's what will do, we're going to seperate into groups of two. Cham, you'll come with me; Superman, Brainy, you'll be another team; Lucas and Alfred, Lucas don't touch anything! Cosmic Boy, you'll be with Bouncing Boy. Also, no one but me, Alfred, and Brainy are allowed to touch anything here," Batgirl instructed.

"Wait? Why can't I touch anything?" Lucas asked.

"BECAUSE YOU BRAKE ALMOST EVERYTHING YOU TOUCH!!" Batgirl yelled, making Lucas back up in fear.

She sighed.

"So, touch with your eyes, not your hands," she said. "Now let's go."

The eight walked through the double doors into the house that was full of dust. Alfred looked around in a bit of disgust.

"If I knew it would be _**this**_ dusty, I would have brought a duster," Alfred said.

"Okay guys, look around for anything that might be an entrance," Batgirl instructed.

They nodded and seperated into their groups. Batgirl and Cham walked up two fleet of stairs, and began to walk down a dusty hallway.

"So... Batgirl," Cham began.

"Yes?" she asked, looking in awe at her family's home.

"Why did you pair us?" he asked, blushing.

She shrugged.

"If I paired you with Bouncing Boy, my house would be destroyed," she replied.

Cham imagined the scene:

_**Bouncing Boy and Cham are walking down a dark and dusty hallway when something comes out of the shadows. Screaming from fear, Bouncing Boy changes into his ball form and begins to bounce around, destroying everything in his path.**_

Cham's face shuddered horror.

"You're right," Cham said.

Batgirl giggled a bit, then stopped. Both Cham and Batgirl were infront of an oak door. Batgirl slowly opened the door, and walked inside. Cham followed behind, and looked around. It was an office, with a lot of items inside of it. Batgirl walkeid to the desk while Cham was looking at a painting from the 1964's. Batgirl looked at the gold plated item that had a name engraved in it. She wiped the dust with her glove, and gasped when she saw the name on it. Her fingers slowly fingered the name, as her lips prenounced it.

"Bruce...Wayne," she murmered.

Cham looked over at her.

"What was that?" Cham asked.

Batgirl ignored him as she looked at a clock... a grandfather's clock. She walked over to it, felt around the wall, and took in a breath.

"Cham," she said.

"Huh?" he asked.

"Call the others," she said.

"Um... okay," he said.

Minutes later, the other six walked into the office and were standing around Batgirl, who was still at the grandfather's clock, her hand on the wall next to it.

"So Batgirl, why'd you call us in here?" Bouncing Boy asked.

"I found it," she answered.

"You found it?" the others asked, not believing her.

She nodded. She turned to Alfred.

"Alfred, can I please have the bag?" she asked.

He nodded and handed it to her. She looked through the bag, opened the pouch with the key inside, and took it out. She handed the bag back to Alfred, then turned to the clock.

"What are you going to do with that key?" Cosmic Boy asked.

"Open the Batcave, of course," Batgirl answered, as she placed the key in the small keyhole.

There was a "psst" noise, and the grandfather clock slowly moved to the side. Everyone looked at the opening full of cobwebs. She took out a small metal stick and slashed at the cobwebs. She then made her way down the stairs. The others followed behind her soundlessly.

"It's getting dark," Cham said.

Batgirl took out a flashlight, and they continued down the stairs. She touched the ground, and began to look for a generator. She found the computer, and saw it's generator.

"Brainy," she called.

Brainy walked over to her, saw what she needed, and nodded. He hooked into the generator and began to go into the systems.

"I'm impressed," Brainy said. "These firewalls are a little hard to get past, but it shouldn't take more than a minute to get past it."

Batgirl nodded, anxious to see the Batcave with the lights on. Suddenly, the lights came on, and Brainy unhitched from the generator.

"There, it'll be running now," Brainy said.

Batgirl smiled, then stopped smiling when they heard another sound, something like a door opening. They looked to see nearly thirty robots come their way.

"What's that?!" Lucas exclaimed, putting away his video camera.

"It's the Batcave's self-defense mechanism," Brainy said, transforming into his fighting mode.

"Let's kick their butts fast, and don't destroy anything in here!" Batgirl ordered as she threw a shuriken at a robot.

It hit the robot in the chest, making it explode. The others that could fight, attacked the fleet of robots that were sure to hurt them.

"Hey Alfred, get down!" Lucas said as he forcefully pulled Alfred to the ground, the laser hitting a rocky wall and leaving a scorch mark.

"Thank you Master Lucas," Alfred said, looking at the scorch.

"Just be glad I can move quickly," Lucas said, smiling proudly.

"Too bad you're brain isn't that fast," Batgirl said, earning a glare from Lucas.

She took out two batarangs and threw it at more robots, slicing their heads, then returning to her hands. She stood up and looked at the headless (or bodyless) robots. She scratched the back of her head.

"This is not going to be fun to clean up," she said.

She looked around the Batcave, and her eyes widened in awe. What caught her attention more, aswell as Bouncing Boy's, was the wall full of costumes. Her eyes locked onto the costume of the original Batman costume. The belt was missing, but she already knew where that was. She stared at it in awe.

"It-it's his costume," Bouncing Boy said in awe.

Apparently, next to Superman, Batman was his other favorite hero. Batgirl walked away from the costumes to the supercomputer. She pressed some keys on the keyboard, and the computer screens kicked on after a minute or two. In the middle of the big one was the bat. Her eyes looked it over. Brainy walked next to her, his eyes scanning the computer.

"Impressive," he said. "The computer is much more powerful then most computers."

"It's only compitition is COMPUTO, right?" Batgirl smirked, finishing his sentence.

He gave a sided smirk. The others continued to look around, looking at the four-wheeled batmobile, the two-wheeled batbike (motorcycle), and the batplane. Lucas was video-taping it all, muttering on how cool it was to actually be here. She knew that camera was never going to make to his house.

Superman and Cosmic Boy were looking around, and saw a hall full of weapons, which seemed extremely powerful.

"Hey, check this out," Superman said, walking into the hall.

The others walked into the hall.

"I can see why the Hatter would want to get here," Brainy said, looking around. "With this weapon and technology, any villain would want to find it."

"And no other villain will," Batgirl said.

"So, are we telling the others?" Cham asked.

"Later on. Right now, I don't want anyone to know it's here," she said. "I want them to keep looking."

The others nodded. She then did a light jump with a small gasp. The boys looked at her.

"What's wrong?" Bouncing Boy asked.

She looked over her shoulder and saw a piece of clay on her back.

"How did this get here?" she asked herself, grabbing the clay.

The clay then began to squirm in her hand, trying to get out of her hand. She thought quickly and stuffed it in a small evidence baggy. It squirmed inside of it, but didn't get out. The others crowded around and stared at the clay.

"What's this?" Cham asked.

Batgirl stared at it.

"Brainy, we should scan this," Batgirl said, looking at Brainy.

He nodded. She turned and walked to the nearest table.

"You meant here?" Cosmic Boy asked.

"Duh. Maybe this clay isn't new. Maybe Batman fought a clay once before, and he recorded it his computer," she said, beginning to scan the clay.

Everyone crowded around, but her glare made everyone but Alfred and Brainy step back. Brainy watched as the scanner began to read it. His eyes narrowed.

"It's strange," Brainy said outloud. "It has no DNA, yet it is a living form."

Batgirl walked over to him and stood behind him, watching the scanner. Her eyes widened.

"How can that be?" Cham asked.

Her eyes lowered; her hand at her chin in thought. She looked at Brainy.

"Let's have COMPUTO scan this," Batgirl said.

Brainy nodded.

--

Kari and the other seven boys were around COMPUTO, getting the results from COMPUTO's scan. Brainy read them outloud. It was the same.

"No DNA, but it has a life of it's own," Brainy said.

Kari stared at the paper, her eyes narrowed in thought.

"What do you think Kari?" Lucas asked.

"I've seen this before. I know I've seen this before," she said, closing her eyes as she tried to remember the museum.

Her eyes shot open with a gasp.

"Clayface," she breathed.

"What?" Cosmic Boy asked.

"Clayface! Batman had an enemy that was made of clay," Kari said. "His name was Clayface. He could turn into any shape, size, person, or thing. He was very tricky."

"So, this clay is trying to return to wherever Clayface is," Superman said.

Kari nodded.

"So let's let it out and follow it!" Lucas suggested.

"No! If it returns to it's self, then Clayface will know where the Batcave is!" Kari said.

"Oh, I guess you're right," Lucas said.

Brainy held the bag (with the clay in it) in his hand.

"I'll keep it in my lab for safety," Brainy said.

Kari grabbed the bag out of his hands from behind him, making him turn quiclky.

"No offense Brainy, but I think it'll be safer in my room," she said.

The bag was taken from her hand, making her turn to see Cosmic Boy **right** behind her!

"It'll be safer if it was locked away in a place no one can get too," he said.

Both Brainy and Kari glared at him as he walked away with the bag in his hand. He actually had a good reason, for not allowing the two to hold it. If Brainy held it in his room and Clayface found it, then he would also get into the weapons Brainy held. If Kari held it in her room, then Clayface would guess Kari was Batgirl, and who knows what that would lead to.

He placed it down in a locked room, to where _no one_ could sense it at all. So, there was no chance of Clayface coming to the tower to get it, and the Batcave would be safe.

--

Back in the dimly lit room, Clayface looked a bit angry. His body part still didn't return to him. Something wasa wrong. He couldn't sense it either, so he had no way of finding it. He failed his master, and his master would be angry.

"Don't fret Clayface," the shadow said.

Clayface looked at the throne.

"You see, if Batgirl has it, then she is getting to suspect that your clay is part of this scheme," the shadow said. "If she hasn't, then she isn't as smart as the original Batman, and the game will be boring."

Clayface nodded.

"So relax and wait for it to all fall into place," the shadow said, leaning back. "The fun has yet to begin."

To be continued ...

--

Me: Yeah, I finished my tenth chapter, and it's the longest one _yet!_ I am so proud of myself! So, how many of you were expecting the Batcave to appear? Seriously, how many of you? So, what the heck does this guy mean?! What's fun?! Also, has anyone guessed who this shadow is? The first five people to get it right will earn a virtual cookie, courtesy of Timber Wolf! Please continue to read, and please review.


	11. A Little Birdy Told Me

Disclaimer: Me: Hi everyone. Here's Chapter Eleven everyone. I hope you all like it.

Title: Bat of the Future

Author: AnimeGirl 144

Chapter 11: A Little Birdy Told Me

--

In a dark alleyway, a wooden door was guarded by a buff man on the otherside of the door. Behind the man was a bar with crooks, assassins, and mob leaders. All of them were playing cards, smoking, and being cocky; not to mention, there was absolutly no girls in the place. A knock came to the door. The buff man slid the eye-door thing open.

"What do you want?" he asked in a hoarse tone.

"Inside," the voice said, "now."

"No girls," the buff man said. "Especially _you._"

The person growled, poked the fingers in his eye sockets, making the guy cry in pain. The door was kicked open, and the person walked in. Everyone gasped when they saw Batgirl stalk in, her hands hidden under her cape. The men didn't dare try to fight her; if she didn't bother them, they wouldn't bother her. That didn't mean they didn't flee the minute her back was turned.

At a table in the far back, a game of poker was going on. Someone just won, because of the victory laugh as he took the chips and huddled them close to his other chips. The other players sighed in anger, but gasped when they saw _her_ come their way. The winner didn't seem to notice, or care.

"Another round boys?" the winner asked.

Their pale faces shook in horror. The winner blinked, before feeling a hand on his shoulder. He turned to see Batgirl glaring down at him.

"What do you want, _Batkid!_" the winner said with a smocky tone of voice.

Batgirl growled at him, and fought back the urge to punch him in the face. Her eyes glared at the other players, and they weren't going to ask twice. They were out of there! She then looked back at the winner, who she was glowering at.

"I want answers Birdy," she glared. "And I want them _**now!**_"

He chuckled.

"So, you honestly think I'm going to tell_ you?_" he asked.

She grabbed him but the collar of his shirt and glared at him with narrowed eyes (though he didn't see it under her mask).

"Talk, _**now!**_" she growled.

"And what will you do if I don't tell you?" he asked.

She smirked as she lifted him from the ground and threw him at the wall. He made a dent, and felt a bit dizzy. All the drinking he had done earlier wasn't helping. Batgirl walked over and picked him up by the back of his shirt.

"You have gotten strong since we last met," he said.

"I want answers, _now_!" Batgirl said, tired of repeating herself.

She glared at him. He sighed.

"Okay," he said. "What makes you think I know anything?"

"Please, you're the only lowlife criminal that actually has somekind of power," she said. "And I am positive _you've_ heard _something_."

He sighed.

"Well, I don't know much, but I hear that a group who believed that what Imperiex was doing was the right thing to do, they decided to try and be like him. I here it's taking place down in the old Wayne Enterprise abandon warehouse," Birdy said.

Batgirl glared at him, but turned and walked away. She walked out of the building, and Birdy followed. When he saw she was gone, he took out what looked to be a cell phone. It was a communicator. A holographic image of the shadow person appeared.

"Yes, Birdy?" he asked calmly.

"Your plan went perfectly," Birdy said triumphially. "She took the bait, just like you said."

"Return back to headquarters," he said, canceling the transmission.

Birdy looked surprised, but did as the person said. On top of the building, Batgirl was watching him leave.

_"Idiot, like I'd really fall for a trick like __**that**__,"___she thought.

Suddenly, her Batcom went off. She eyes widened. She grabbed it and muted it. She then looked to see that Birdy was looking around, before walking off in the shadows. She sighed with relief, then looked at her BatCom with a glare. Cosmic Boy was talking on it.

"What do you want?" she interrupted.

"You left the tower without telling anyone where you went!" Cosmic Boy shot back.

She glared at him.

"I left a note on the datapad next to COMPUTO," she said.

He looked and saw the datapad. He sighed.

"Just come back," he said.

She growled.

"Fine," she said, jumping off of the building.

--

"What the heck Cosmic Boy?! I'm not a little girl! I can take care of myself!" Kari shot at him when she arrived into the lounge room.

It was late at night, and most of the Legionnaires were asleep. Cosmic Boy was leaning against COMPUTO, arms crossed. He was use to her yelling.

"Listen, you could have told someone," Cosmic Boy said calmly.

"_I wrote it down,_" Kari snapped through her clentched teeth.

"Still, I didn't see it till you told me," Cosmic Boy said. "You worried me for a second."

She was about to blow off when she heard what he said. She thought it through for a second.

"Wait, _me?_ Don't you mean _us_?" she asked.

His cheeks tinted.

"Y-yeah, that's what I meant," he said. He shook his head. "Fact of the matter, where were you?"

"I was out," she said, sitting down.

He rose an eyebrow.

"And?" he asked.

"I was in a secret bar place," Kari said. "Had some of the worst bad guys you could think off. Of course, they didn't have any poewrs."

"Kari," Cosmic sighed. "You know that's dangerous. You should have had back up."

She looked away nonchalunt.

"I can take care of myself, I'm a big girl!" she said, then glaring back at him. "Besides, I was trailing Birdy when _you_ stopped me."

He rose an eyebrow.

"My fault?" he asked.

"Yes, the idiot thought he could out smart me," she said. "Ha! He may not look like Peguin, but he sure is as stupid as the Peguin."

"Kari," he sighed.

She got up.

"Listen, it's late, and tomorrow, I'll have to trail him, _again_," she said. She walked towards the door. "Night."

She walked down the hall to her room when she saw someone else walk down the hall. She squinted her eyes, then looked at the person with wide eyes.

"Violet?" Kari asked.

Shrinking Violet looked up and her eyes widened too as the two stopped infront of each other.

"K-Kari?" Violet said.

"Whoa! You actually followed Lucas's advise!" Kari said.

Violet shrugged with a blush.

"Yeah, I sort of did," she said. "How is he anyways?"

"A duffous, as always," Kari replied.

Shrinking Violet giggled with a snort.

"Well, it's great to see ya again," Vi said. "If you need me, just ask."

Kari was about to dismiss that, but suddenly stopped at the idea.

"Actually..." she began.

--

New Gotham was under the night's sleeping spell once again. But not everyone was sleeping...

"So, why'd you come to me, _Birdy_," a man's voice spat out.

"Because Two-Face, my boss wanted me to ask you to join his group," Birdy said, sitting on the other side of the table.

Next to one of the mobster leaders was his men, sitting next to him, and keeping a close eye on Birdy, who came all alone. Of course, they weren't _**completely**_ alone. On the roof looking down into the building was Batgirl and Shrinking Violet. Both were looking in, and Violet almost lost her dinner when she saw what Two-Face looked like. Half his face was human, the other half was deformed. Batgirl smirked.

"Reminds me of second grade," she said.

Shrinking Violet looked over at her, then smirked as well, remembering the second grade.

_**"Why not go back to your own home, alien," two boys said rudely to young Salu Digby.**_

_**She looked at them with a trembling lip, but then suddenly glared at them and got in their faces. She was not going to back down without a fight.**_

_**"And what if I don't?" she said. "I oughta-"**_

_**The tallest of the two boys got in her face, making her stop.**_

_**"You oughta do what?" he asked threatnignly.**_

_**She cowered down, and looked away from his gaze.**_

_**"You oughta leave her alone!" a new voice said.**_

_**Salu and the boys looked to see Kari, hands on the back of her hips.**_

_**"Stay out of this Kari Wayne! This is none of your concern!" the other little boy shot back.**_

_**"When it's you two causing trouble it **__**becomes**__** my concern," she said. "Now leave her alone!"**_

_**The two growled at her, but obeyed. She watched them walk off, then looked at Salu, who's eyes were wide in surprise.**_

_**"Um... thank you," Salu said, reverting her gaze to her shoes.**_

_**"No problem," she said. "So, my name's Kari Wayne. Who are you?"**_

_**"My name is-"**_

_**"Kari!" Lucas called as he ran to her.**_

_**Kari glared at him.**_

_**"You are very rude Lucas!" Kari said to her friend. "Oh, by the way, this is Lucas Roax."**_

_**Lucas put up his hand.**_

_**  
"Hey there!"**_

_**"Now, who are you?" Kari asked.**_

_**"Um... Salu Digby," Salu said.**_

_**"Cool name! But, mind if I call you Violet? You seem more like a Violet then a Salu to me!" Kari said with a big smile.**_

_**Salu's eyes brightened up as she shook her head.**_

_**"No, I don't mind at all! I like the name Violet!" Salu said quickly.**_

_**  
"Cool!" Kari grinned. "You know what we should do?"**_

_**"What?"**_

_**"Play a trick on those two boys," a wicked smile appearing on Kari's face made Lucas cringe.**_

_**Suddenly, Violet got a wicked smile too.**_

_**"Sounds like a great idea!" The two giggled, then sped off, leaving a confused Lucas.**_

"So, why are we here?" Violet asked, coming out of her memory bubble.

"Birdy believes I'm an idiot, thinking he threw me off his trail, so I followed him here, because there is more than he's telling me," Batgirl said, her voice getting serious.

"But why _him_?" Violet asked.

"Come on Vi. He has a stupid name! We can totally take the bird lover," Batgirl said to her friend.

"No, it's not that guy I'm worried about. It's the other one! Two-Face! Why him?" she asked.

"No worries. You take care of Birdy, and Two Face will be all mine," Batgirl said.

"Okay," her friend said in an unsure tone. "But, shouldn't we call for back-up?"

"You are my back-up," Batgirl said, slowly lowering an earpiece into the room so they could hear the conversation.

Shrinking Violet sighed, and leaned in to hear the conversation.

"_So, why does your boss want me? From the members you've told me, you seem unstoppable,_" Two-Face said.

"_I think that too! But my boss is very superstisious, and wants everything to go exactly as planned. He wants more to join us, so even if we seem a lot, we still can become invinsible,_" Birdy replied.

"_Hm... let me think about it,_" Two-Face said.

Birdy stood from his chair.

"_When you make up your mind, you know where to find me,_" with that, he left.

Batgirl smirked and watched as Birdy left the building.

"Okay Vi, you're up," Batgirl said.

"What do you want me to do?" Vi asked.

"Follow him," she replied.

Vi nodded, then shrunk and flew down and landed in Birdy's coat pocket. Batgirl then looked back into the building. She pushed something on the side of her mask, and her ears began to pick up the conversation in the building."

"_I don't know boss, sounds like a bad idea to me,_" one of his jockies said.

"_Yeah. What if it's juts a set up? You know he's been wanting your position for a while,_" another jockie said.

"_I know that, but Birdy there is too __**stupid**__ to pull something like that. No, he's telling the truth,_ Two-Face said.

Batgirl looked down, and began to think of a way to talk to the mob leader alone. She picked up something, then threw it into another open window. The four in the room looked towards the sound.

"We'll check it out boss," the three said, getting up and walking away.

Two-Face watched them leave, then felt someone behind him. He turned and looked at the shadows.

"What do you want?" he demanded.

Batgirl stepped out of the shadows.

"Answers," she replied.

"Too bad, my men will be back before you get them," Two-Face said.

Batgirl smirked.

"You already locked them up, didn't you?" Two-Face said.

"Like I said, I want answers, and I'm not leaving till you give me them," Batgirl said, walking closer to him.

Two-Face sighed.

"What do you want to know?"

"Everything. Why was Birdy here?"

"To make me join this little group. His so-called-"boss" sent him over to recruit me. For whatever reason, I have no idea," he answered.

"If you had to have just one idea, what would it be?" Batgirl asked.

"Maybe to build up some kind of a force," Two-Face replied.

Batgirl's eyes narrowed in thought. That is a possiblity.

"Now, to flip a coin to see if I let you go, or kill you," Two-Face suddenly said, making Batgirl look up at him quickly.

"Heads: You die. Tails: You leave," Two-Face said, reaching for a coin.

He flipped it.

"Tails, you can leave," Two-Face said, his human voice coming out more.

Batgirl nodded.

"A word of advice," he said, before she left the building. "Watch your back."

"Same to you," she said, taking off towards her Batplane (I liked the Batplane better, so she's riding that).

Once in the air, she connected to Shrinking Violet's ring.

"Hey Vi, you there?" she asked.

"Yeah. Birdy's at his base. I'll send you the coordniates," Vi said from the other side.

Batgirl typed in the coordniates and the Batplane went to it's destination. She didn't notice a lone figure following behind her.

--

Batgirl quietly landed the Batplane then snuck into his base. She walked over to his desk to see Vi patiently sitting on the table top, in shrunken size. She quickly grew to regular size.

"Hey there Bats," Vi said.

"So, where's Birdy?" Batgirl asked.

"Don't know. He's probably in the back room," Violet said, pointing to the back door.

Batgirl slowly advanced towards the door before stopping.

"What's wrong?" Vi asked.

"I thought... I heard someone following us," Batgirl said.

They stood still and waited. The ears on her mask perked, and she grabbed her friends shoulders, yelled "DUCK!", and pushed her to the ground. Both looked up to see a shuriken in the form of a bird. They looked to see a smirking Birdy.

"I must say, you are a very good listener, _Bats_," Birdy mocked.

Batgirl glared at him, taking out a batarang and shooting it at him. He lifted up his umbrella and wacked it, sending it back at Batgirl. Her eyes widened as the sharp end of it hit into her leg. She bit her lip as blood came out. She slowly ripped the batarang and held her leg. But something was wrong. It was suddenly numb.

"Batgirl? What's wrong?" Vi asked.

"M-My leg. It's numb," she replied.

"Actually, it's been poisoned," Birdy said. "You see, I implanted my umbrella with a numbing poison, that rubbed off onto your batarang. Soon, your body will go numb... and you won't be a problem anymore."

Violet growled as she ran and kicked him across the face. He stumbled back, before shooting back on trying to hit her with his umbrella. She dodged them. Batgirl reached into her utility belt and took out a bola. She wrapped it around her leg, cutting off the circulation. She stood up, but felt a little wobbly.

"Batgirl, dodge!" Vi shouted.

She looked and saw another bird shuriken head her way. If this was poisoned too... She ducked down, but saw _another_ one come her way. It was a trap. He set one out first, then the other right after. With her bad leg, there was no way of getting out of the way in time. She closed her eyes and waited for impact. All she heard was a "clang." She opened her eyes and saw a metal wall infront of her, surrounded by a purple energy field!

"Cosmic Boy," she whispered.

Cosmic Boy threw his hands and the metal wall followed, hitting Birdy and forcing him to the ground. While Cosmic walked over to Birdy, Vi went to her friend's side.

"Batgirl, you okay?" she asked.

Batgirl nodded, before looking down at her leg. If she didn't get medical attention now, she may loose her leg.

"Batgirl, Shrinking Violet! Move!" Cosmic Boy shouted.

Both looked up and saw the umbrella come there way. Before the two moved, a weird gas came out, making Vi drousy, and hit the ground with a thud, falling asleep.

"Vi?" Batgirl said, shaking her friend.

Vi didn't wake up. Cosmic Boy glared at Birdy. He picked the guy up by the front of his collar and glared at him some more.

"What are you playing at Birdy?" Cosmic demanded.

"Well, I was hoping to get your girlfriend over there out of the picture so we could finish our plans," Birdy said. "And soon, it will happen."

"You wish," Batgirl said, as she limped over to Birdy.

"Batgirl," Cosmic said.

She grabbed Birdy by the shoulders and glared at him hard. He gulped.

"Antidote, now!" she demanded.

"As if!" he said.

She rose her hand to punch him, but stopped as the pain from her leg made her drop him. He tried to run, but Cosmic Boy wrapped some metal around him, forcing him to stay. Cosmic Boy then knelt by Batgirl's side.

"Are you okay?" he asked.

She shook her head as she untied the bolas. His eyes widened, knowing now they didn't have much time. He looked back over at Birdy.

"Give me the antidote, now!" he demanded, his eyes flaring.

Birdy sighed.

"Fine, second drawer to the top," he said.

Cosmic Boy hurried to get it, before returning it to Batgirl and sticking it in her leg. The numbness disappeared as the vapors escpaed her body. She smiled, glad to feel her leg again. She then looked over at Birdy.

"Who's your boss?" she asked.

Cosmic Boy looked confused, but Birdy smirked.

"Honestly, I have no idea. But I can tell you this," he said, "the Legion of Doom **will** stop you."

Batgirl smirked.

"I'd like to see them try," she said.

--

"Is your leg feeling better?" Cosmic Boy asked.

Batgirl nodded as the three left the scene. The Gotham Police came down and were now hauling the criminal to jail. Shrinking Violet was still knocked out, but Batgirl was carring her friend to the Batplane.

"A little, still can barely feel it," she said.

Cosmic Boy hovered (not litterally, he's just walking close to her) around her. She reached the Batplane, and placed her friend in the back seat. She then got into the driver seat.

"No room for me?" Cosmic teased.

"Nope," she said, starting the engine and flying off.

Cosmic Boy smirked, and flew after her.

--

In the dimly lit room, Catgirl hissed.

"I don't get it! How did he fail?" the Hatter screeched.

"Now now, who ever said... he failed?" the person asked.

"But... but he was caught," the Hatter shot back.

"True, but his plan wasn't to get rid of her," the person said.

"What?!" the Hatter said.

"Then what is the plan?" Scarecrow said calmly.

"To lead her to me," the person said, tighting his fist, "so that _I _can crush her!"

He slammed his fist in his armchair, breaking throught the arm rest. The others were silent, afriad to say a word.

To be continued ...

--

Me: Yeah, I finished my eleventh chapter. I am so proud of myself! Sorry if the fight with Birdy was bad, but I still hope you liked it. Please continue to read, and please review.


	12. An Icy Dance

Disclaimer: Me: Hi everyone. Here's Chapter Twelve. I hope you all like it.

Title: Bat of the Future

Author: AnimeGirl 144

Chapter 12: An Icy Dance

--

Kari laied in her bed as the sunshine glowed on her face. Though she was still asleep, she could still hear the other Legionnaires talking. Her eyes scrunged in annoyence as she listened to the conversation outside of her door. This annoyed her because she was still trying to rest after last night.

"Is she alright? She's still asleep! And it's already 10:30!" Cham's voice said from outside.

"She'll be fine Cham, she just needs some rest," Cosmic's voice said. "She had a long night."

"What happened anyways?" Cham asked.

"I'll explain later," Cosmic said. "Come on, let's leave her alone."

She listened as the two walked away. She opened her eyes and began to adjust them.

"I better get up before they think I _am_ dead," she said to herself.

She slowly got out of bed, but nearly fell out of it. She touched her leg, and felt it numb once more. Her heart stopped, fearing the poison was still inside, but then she felt it tingle, and realized it was merely asleep. (Have you ever had your leg go asleep on you, and then you got those tingles in them? Those annoy me _**so**_ much!) She stood up, and wobbled over to her closet, where she changed into a white spagetti strap shirt and black slacks. She then walked out of her room, almost to have a run in with Lightning Lad and Shrinking Violet.

"Hey Kari! I was wandering when you'd wake up! How's your leg?" Vi asked.

"Much better then last night," she replied. "How 'bout you?"

"All that extra sleep just makes me more determind to kick some butt!" Vi said, all pumped up.

Kari smiled, glad to see her friend was alright. She then looked at Lightning Lad, who was patiently waiting for their conversation to end. His arms were crossed.

"And what do you need me for?" she asked.

"Just a while ago, a transmission came in for you," he replied.

"From who?"

"Alfred."

"Hm," she said under her breath. "Wander what he wants."

He nodded his head for the two to follow, so they did. They walked into the lounge room and saw Brainy, Superman, Cham, Timber Wolf, Phantom Girl, and Cosmic Boy, all looking at COMPUTO's computer screen. They looked when they heard the door open. Cham smiled.

"Hey Kari! You feeling any better?" he asked.

She nodded, then looked at Cosmic, who quickly looked away. She stood in between him and Brainy.

"So what did Alfred say?" she asked.

"A note," Cosmic Boy answered.

"Cham and I recieved one too," Phantom Girl said. "It's a party invitation!"

"A party?" Kari asked.

"Yeah! It says everyone important is going to be there," Cham said.

"When's the party start?"

"It says five o'clock," Timber Wolf read off the invitation.

"So, that gives me at least two hours to talk with Vi, two hours to annoy Lucas, one hour to check the business, one hour to have an arguement with Cosmic, half-hour to get ready, and another half-hour to get there," Kari said, before looking at Violet. "Sounds good, right Vi?"

Violet giggled.

"Sounds like a plan," she said, knowing this probably annoyed Cosmic.

Cosmic Boy was annoyed, but wasn't able to say anything because Phantom Girl began to dive into both the girl's conversation. He sighed, before walking away.

--

Once again, the boys were back in the lounge. Cham was wearing a tuxedo, which didn't looked too great on him. Lightning Lad and Timber Wolf had to bite their lips just so they wouldn't laugh at his outfit. Poor Cham, he looked so sad. Suddenly, the door slid open, and the three girls walked in. Violet was wearing her normal clothes, but the other two were different.

Phantom Girl's hair was down, she was wearing an elegant white gown that looked like something from an angel costume. She wore white heels, and had light make-up on. Kari was the opposite of her. A small part of her hair was in a small ponytail ontop of her other silky hair. She wore a long black dress that went to her ankles and clung to her upper body, exposing her curves and the sleeves were hanging onto her shoulders (the sleeves are like Belle's) and she wore black one-inch heels.

All threes girls smirked at the guys, who save for Brainy and Superman, had their mouths gaping at them.

"Well? How do we look?" Phantom Girl asked, twirling so her dress picked up a bit.

Brainy just nodded, going back to COMPUTO.

"You two look great," Superman said, trying to be supportive.

The others boys were still gaping, not being able to say anything. This made the girls smirk more, and Shrinking Violet giggled with a snort. Kari and Phantom Girl walked over to Cham and grabbed him by his wrists and made him follow them.

"Come on Cham. We have a party to get to!" Kari said.

She loved parties, but never went to much. Cham was still gaping as the two girls dragged him out the door.

--

They arrived and looked around the elegant ballroom, seeing many important people. Among them were Phantom Girl's mother, and Chameleon Boy's father. Kari smiled, but it hid her sadness. She knew that if her parents were alive, they would be here too.

"Kari?" Cham asked, finally gaining his voice.

She looked at him. He was blushing.

"A-Are y-you okay?" he asked.

"I'm fine, but I'll see you two in a while," she said, turning to walk away.

"Wait? Why aren't you going to stay with us?" he asked.

"If I stay with you guys, questions will be asked, and I don't want to answer them," she replied, before walking off into the crowd.

Cham watched her sadly. She walked by, until stopped by some old people that were mingling with one another.

"Miss Kari Wayne, is that you?" one asked.

She looked and smiled at him. He was the current CEO president of ARCO.

"Yes, Mr. Ludchi," she said, stopping. "How are you?"

"I am doing well my dear," he replied. "How are you child?"

"Okay, why do you ask?" she asked.

"It has been monthes since the death of your parents, how are you holding up?" a woman, heir of Mervyens, asked.

Kari looked away quickly, trying to hide her tears, before looking back at them with a smile.

"I'm doing better, and I'm working hard on finding whoever..." she trailed off.

The people nodded. Soon, the party did start, and everyone was now beginning to dance. Outside of the building were three figures looking in from a tree branch.

"Why the heck are we here Cosmic Boy?" Lightning Lad asked.

"We need to keep an eye on these people," Cosmic Boy replied, not taking his eyes off a certain person. "With so many of them here, anything can happen."

Timber Wolf scoffed.

"Yeah right. You're here to keep your eyes on Kari," Timber Wolf said.

Cosmic didn't say anything. He watched as various guys danced with Kari, and he tensed up everytime. Back inside, Kari wasn't tired of dancing. She was used to dancing when she was little, so her feet were fine. This was barley a warm-up.

"May I cut in?" a familiar voice asked.

Kari almost opened her eyes in shock, thinking that Cosmic showed up, but was surprised to see Cham there. The guy she was dancing with looked a little reluctant, but moved aside to allow Cham a dance. Both began to dance, and Cosmic Boy relaxed when he saw his friend dancing with Kari. Lightning Lad was laughing while Timber Wolf chuckled.

"Poor kid! He's short!" Lightning Lad laughed.

"So Cham, you found a way to dance with me," Kari smirked.

He grinned at her. She looked at him with sympathy. He probably hadn't realized he was much shorter than her, so them dancing was a bit strange. But he probably didn't notice because he was too busy dancing with her, his crush. Yeah, she knew he had a crush on her. They danced for a few more minutes, before Cham was tapped on his shoulder. Both looked to see a boy about a year older than Kari gleaming at them.

"Mind if I cut in?" he asked,

Cham nodded, though he looked sad. The boy took Kari's hand, placed his hand on her hip, and began to dance with Kari. She was blushing. Cham walked over to the punch bowl and saw Phantom Girl getting a drink. She smiled at him.

"Are you okay?" she asked.

He sighed.

"Yeah, I'm okay," he said.

Cosmic Boy was tense as he watched this guy glide with Kari. Timber Wolf narrowed his eyes.

"Something's not right," he muttered.

It went unnoticed by the other boys.

"So, Miss Wayne," the boy began.

"Oh! Please, call me Kari," she said. "I don't like being called 'Miss Wayne.' Makes me sound old."

He smiled.

"Very well Kari," he said. "I am amazed at how well you are dancing."

"Thank you," she said, then smirking with a raised eyebrow, "Mr. Jay Jemi."

He chuckled.

"Please, call me J.J," he said.

She smirked. J.J. was the president of J.J. Oil, which many planets used.

"So, J.J., how is business going out in space?" she asked.

"Very well. We are still working hard to win Nerox over," he replied. "How about you?"

"Not bad," she replied. "How's your fangirls?"

He chuckled, before smiling at her with his pearly white teeth.

"You've heard?" he said. "I've been working hard to get away from them. I am still trying to find the perfect girl for me."

"Maybe she's in your crazied fangirl club," Kari said with a smirk.

"Or maybe, she's here infront of me," he said.

She blushed with a small gasp. She barely met this guy, and he was already flirting with her.

"I-uh... I," she trailed off.

Timber Wolf's head shot up.

"Something's not right!" he said.

"Huh?" Cos and L.L. asked.

Suddenly, in the ballroom near Kari and J.J., a big explosion happened. J.J. pulled Kari down to the ground as the debriee flew around them. Kari looked up and saw the exploding entrance was covered with ice. Her eyes widened.

"Kari, follow me!" J.J. yelled.

He grabbed her wrist and pulled her, but her wrist slipped from him and she fell to the ground again. She felt a cold chilling feeling coming from her ankles. She looked to see them frozen together. Her eyes widened as she looked to see who had frozen her.

The boys outside quickly came into the ballroom to see that Phantom Girl and Cham were making sure everyone left the place safely. Cosmic Boy was first to see Kari, and the thing standing over her.

"KARI!!" he yelled.

He flew over to Kari, and punched the thing in the chest. The thing staggered back. Cosmic knelt next to Kari.

"Kari, you alright?" he asked.

She nodded, then smiled.

"Glad you brought back-up," she said.

She gasped when she saw the thing recover. Cosmic Boy stood up and watched as the thing rose his hand in the air as ice came from it, and circled around Cosmic Boy. The little snow things bgean to hit Cosmic Boy, and he was unable to do anything to stop it as the coldness numbed his body and his throat. Kari glared at the thing.

"What are you?" she demanded.

"My name is Icy, Miss Kari Wayne," Icy said. (He looks like Mr. Freeze from _The Batman_)

She glared at him. Cosmic Boy fell to the ground, his throat numb from the coldness and his body was cold. Kari looked at him.

"Cosmic Boy," she gasped.

He was too numb to move or say anything, and everyone else was busy helping the scared people. She looked back, only to get back-handed by Icy. She fell to the side with a grunt and was knocked out. Icy bent down and picked her up. Cosmic Boy lifted his head and his eyes watched as Icy walked away with Kari.

"K-Kari," he whispered, trying to move his frozen body.

It wouldn't budge. He looked over at the others.

"Ch-CHAM!!" he yelled.

Cham looked quickly and saw Icy leave the building. He ran after them, changing into a goat-like creature and head-butting him in the back. Icy stumbled forward, not loosing his hold on Kari. Icy looked at Cham with a glare. He threw four ice sickles at Cham, who dodged them quickly. He grabbed one of Cham's horns and threw it against a wall. Cham changed back with a grunt.

"That was not fun," he said.

"Word of advice, boy," Icy said, walking away. "Do not face me."

Cham stood up and was about to punch him, but Icy disappeared in snow storm. All that was left was a crystal shard. Cham picked it up and stared at it sadly.

"Kari," he whispered.

He walked back to the building and found Cosmic Boy finally free from his numbing. Cham looked guilty and ashamed. He walked over to Cosmic Boy and handed the crystal to Cosmic Boy. Cosmic looked shocked, and worried.

"I... I'm sorry Cosmic Boy," Cham said. "I tried, but... he was too strong. He got away."

Cosmic Boy sighed. He was angry, but not at Cham.

"It's not your fault Cham," Cosmic Boy said.

He stared back at the crystal. His fist tightened, and cracks began to form on the crystal.

"We'll find her," he said. "Then crush Icy!"

When he said the word "crush" the shattered the crystal. The Legionnaires around him nodded. Suddenly, they turned when they heard footsteps run their way. They were afraid someone had heard everything, but were happy and relieved when it was Alfred.

"Legion members," Alfred said, "where is Miss Kari?"

He was alarmed. The Legionnaires were a bit worried to tell him. Cosmic Boy got up and placed a hand on his shoulder.

"We'll talk at the tower," Cosmic said.

--

"KARI'S NOT WITH YOU?!" Violet screeched after Cosmic Boy explained everything to everyone in the room.

Cosmic Boy backed up. Lucas and Alfred looked stunned at the fact that Kari was taken. Brainy and Superman looked at each other. They were told to come, but they went against it. They felt guilty at the fact that they didn't show up to help her.

"Listen Violet, I know you are mad, but-"

"But nothing! How could you let her get away?!" Violet yelled at Cosmic Boy.

"I've already told you, Icy can control cold weather," Cosmic said. "That will be hard to fight."

"So where the heck is she?!" Vi yelled.

She was worried about her friend that had helped her through her hard time in her childhood.

"Listen, we're still trying to find her, but it's not easy," he said.

"If you cared for her, you would looked harder!" Vi shouted, before gasping as she realized at what she said.

Cosmic Boy looked hurt as he sighed. Vi looked a bit embarrassed. She looked down.

"I... Sorry," she said. "I'm just worried about her. She's my best friend."

Cosmic Boy sighed again.

"I know Vi, I am too," he said, his voice a bit lower. "And we are going to look hard for her until we find her."

Vi nodded. Brainy stepped forward.

"Then I think I might know a way to find her," Brainy said, beginning to tell the other Legionnaires his idea.

--

Kari slowly opened her eyes with a groan of pain. She slowly opened her eyes to see she was in an icy cave. She gasped, and saw her own icy breath. Her eyes widened and she looked around. She felt a chilling feeling coming from her body, and she saw from her ankles to her shoulders, she was covered with ice. Her eyes widened more.

"You are awake," Icy said.

She looked up at him with a glare.

"Duh!" she spat out.

Icy didn't look at her. He seemed to busy to mess with her.

"So, what do you want with me?" she asked.

"Nothing," he replied. "I am simply waiting for the Legion to come."

Her eyes widened, afraid he found out her secret.

"What for?" she asked. "Why me?"

"I just grabbed someone I could," he said. "But for some reason, two of the Legionnaires knew you."

She kept her mouth shut.

"I doesn't matter," Icy said. "Now, I will wait for the Legion. They will find me, and for your sake, you should wish they come soon."

She glared at him, but soon realized what he meant when she felt her body shake. She looked down to see that her skin was turning a pale blue. Her eyes widened. If the Legion didn't show up soon, she'll be frozen alive.

"Hurry up guys," she whispered under her breath.

--

"I can sense her, but it's faint," Saturn Girl said as she and the others flew to one of the coldest places they could think of... the North Pole. (**SANTA!!**)

They landed on the ice blocks and looked around. It was a barren wasteland. Lucas and Alfred got out of the batplane that Cosmic Boy moved with his powers. Lucas looked around.

"Uh... you sure we're in the right place?" he asked, seeing his breath.

Saturn Girl nodded.

"I'm positive," she said, turning back to the wasteland. "She's that way."

The small group walked down the path she said and began to look around for anything. Cosmic Boy still moved the Batplane with him. The small group consisted of: Cosmic Boy, Saturn Girl, Brainy, Superman, Chameleon Boy, Shrinking Violet, Lucas, and Alfred. Phantom Girl and Timber Wolf stayed back at the tower incase they got a message from Icy. Shrinking Violet was leading the way with Saturn Girl directing them. She gasped, making everyone look at her.

"What is it Saturn Girl?" Lucas asked.

"She's close by, real close," she said.

Saturn Girl looked to her left and pointed at an opening.

"In there," she said.

Everyone looked and flew over to the opening. They looked and in fact saw Icy, standing and looking at something. Lucas took out his video camera and followed the Legion in, then stopped at a safe distance to where he could videotape the fight, but not be discovered or attacked. The group slowly creepted in, thinking they could get in without being discovered, but they were wrong.

"I was wondering when you would show up Legion," Icy said, not looking at them. "It was getting silent in here. The girl isn't much fun to talk to. Have a look for yourself."

They looked and saw Kari up against a lone ice crystal with crystal over her body. Her skin went from pale blue to blue. The Legion had to bite their lips to yell her name out, or risk Icy learning her secret identity. Cosmic Boy glared at him.

"Let her go!" he demanded.

Icy looked over at them.

"Beat me, and I just might," he said.

Both Shrinking Violet and Cham weren't thinking when they jumped from the ground and tried to hit Icy in the face. He lifted his hand and snow balls flew out, hitting them and forcing them to the ground. Saturn Girl and Brainy jumped in to help. They were able to get a hit into the chest thanks to Vi and Cham, who provided the perfect distraction for them. Superman would have jumped in to help, but Cosmic had him help free Kari from her icy prison. He melted the ice around him and she fell into Cosmic Boy's arms. She shuddered at the sudden heat, but was grateful for it anyways. They turned and caught a look of Saturn Girl who hit a crystal wall. Icy turned to the two.

"Cosmic, get her out of her now," Superman said, before lunging at Icy.

Cosmic Boy held her bridel style and flew out of the cave. He looked down at her to see her once blue skin turn a bit lighter. This was a good sign. He landed outside with Alfred waiting by the Batplane. His eyes landed on Kari.

"Miss Kari!" he said, walking over to the two Legionnaires when Cosmic Boy landed.

"She's okay, but we need to warm her quickly!" Cosmic said.

Alfred nodded as he placed Kari in the front seat, then turned on the heat.

"While she is warming up, you should go back and help your teammates Master Cosmic Boy," Alfred said.

Cosmic nodded, looked one last time at Kari, then flew back into the cave. Icy knocked Superman back, before looking up at Cosmic.

"This is a disappointment," Icy said. "I was expecting Batgirl to show up."

"She's on another mission," Cosmic Boy said. "So you'll just have to settle with us!"

Kari's eyes snapped open. Her body felt warm, and when she looked at her skin, it was back to it's normal skin coloring. She sat up quickly and turned the heater down to "warm". She blinked.

"Miss Kari, you're awake!" Alfred said.

"Yeah Alfred," she said, closing her eyes and placing her hand on her head.

She was recollecting her thoughts before it hit her.

"Alfred! Did you bring-"

"Yes miss, right here," Alfred said, handing her a pile of neatly folded clothing.

She frantically changed clothes then jumped out of the Batplane. She ran toward the entrance.

"Miss! I do not think it is wise to fight him right after you were defrozen!" Alfred said.

"Don't care! I've got a score to settle with that guy!" Batgirl said, back, entering the icy caveren.

She ran in and watched as both Cosmic and Cham fell back. She took out a batarang and threw it at him, hitting him in the chest, then exploding. He stumbled back and held the hole where he was hit. He looked up and looked at her.

"I am glad to see you are here," he said. "But I believed you were on a mission."

"I was, but I got back just in time," Batgirl said, taking out more batarangs and throwing them at him.

He held his arm up, but the explosions only caused the ice to melt on his arm. Superman got to his feet and saw Batgirl.

"Batgirl-"

"Superman, use your heat vision on his face!" Batgirl said, not giving him much time to speak.

He nodded, and did what she said. He used his heat vision and hit Icy in the face, making him melt a bit. Batgirl ran up to Icy, grabbed a circular device from her pouch, and placed it on the back of Icy's neck. It blinked two times, before setting off. The explosion subsided, and Icy had some part of his back head missing. His body was melting.

"It seems you're a very resourceful Batgirl," Icy said.

"And in a second, you'll be a metled ice cube," Batgirl said.

He payed no attention to her, as he turned his shoulder to see Cosmic Boy about to hit him. He rose his hand and shot ice sickles at him, forcing him to hit the icy wall.

"Cosmic Boy!" Batgirl said.

"Hm?" Icy said under his breath.

Batgirl was about to punch him, but he moved out of the way. She rolled and turned quickly and watched as Icy melted into the wall.

"We shall meet again," he said, "Miss Wayne."

Batgirl's eyes widened as she gasped inwardly. He fully disappeared.

"Batgirl," Superman said, using her name incase someone was listening, "what just happened?"

Batgirl paused for thirty seconds, before looking at him.

"He-he knew," she said.

Superman's eyes widened. They heard some groans and looked over to see their camrades wake up. Batgirl then remembered that Cosmic Boy was pinned up, and walked over to the wall and took them out. He got to his feet and smiled at her.

"Thanks," he said.

She merely nodded, before walking over to Lucas, who came from his hidden place. She looked soledum.

"Lucas, can I see the videocamera?" she asked.

He nodded and handed it to her. She opened it and watched it again. Her eyes lowered as she watched the part she was fearing the most. She closed her eyes as she shut the camera. The woken ups looked at her.

"Batgirl! You okay?" Vi asked.

Batgirl shook her head slowly.

"No," she sighed. "He knows."

"Knows what?" Cham asked.

She looked at them, and their eyes widened.

"Oh no," Lucas whispered.

--

"So Icy, I see you are feeling better," the shadowy person said.

"Much better, know that I know a secret that even _you _would be intrested in," Icy said.

"Really? What do you have to tell me that I already don't know?" the person asked.

"The true identity of Batgirl," Icy said.

The person seemed to smirk as his dark green eyes danced with amusement.

"You've caught my intrest," the person said. "Tell me."

"Batgirl," Icy said, "is Kari Wayne."

To be continued ...

--

Me: Yeah, I finished my twelvth chapter. I am so proud of myself! A sudden twist of events! Icy knows who Kari is, and now, so does this shadowy person! Has anyone guessed who this person might be? Please continue to read, and please review.


	13. Trip to the Past

Disclaimer: Me: Hi everyone. Here's Chapter Thirteen. I hope you all like it. Also, a special guest makes an appearence. Who could it be? Also, I did get this idea from the Teen Titans.

Title: Bat of the Future

Author: AnimeGirl 144

Chapter 13: Trip to the Past

--

It had been a week since she fought with Icy, and she was scared. Not for her life, but for Alfred's and Lucas's lives. If Icy was part of this Legion of Doom, then he might have told the leader, and that can place her friend's lives in danger. All she could do was pray to heaven that the two would be alright.

"Kari?"

The sudden voice made her jump as she turned to see Shrinking Violet and Lucas standing behind her. They looked concerned.

"You okay?" they asked.

She took in a breath and nodded. Since the incident with Icy, Cosmic thought it'd be safe to have her stay at the tower, incase the other members of the Legion of Doom knew her identity. She didn't argue. And lucky for all of them, the others never asked nor questioned about Batgirl's identity.

"Well, Cosmic Boy wanted to see you in the lounge," Vi said to her friend. "I think something's going down."

Kari nodded, ready for action. They ran past her room, she changed, then followed Lucas and Violet to the lounge. Cosmic turned and saw them come in.

"Good, you've come," he said.

"So what's wrong?" she asked.

"Watch this video," Cosmic said. "Brainy."

Brainy played the video. Kari silently watched the video, then her ears perked up.

"What's that sound?" she asked, hearing the ticking noise.

"What sound?" Lucas asked.

Kari looked at Brainy.

"Brainy, run the video again," she said.

He nodded and replayed it.

"What sound are we listening for?" Vi asked.

"A sort of, ticking noise," Kari said.

When the video ended, the others shook their head.

"Sorry Kari, we didn't hear anything," Superman said.

"It happened, right before the gold was stolen," she said, now mostly to herself.

The sudden alarm came on, alerting everyone in the room.

"What's going on?" Superman asked.

Brainy typed on COMPUTO, then turned to his friends.

"Someone's robbing the Museum of Natural History," Brainy said. "We need to get going."

Cosmic nodded.

"Okay everyone, let's go," he said.

Kari was hesitant, but followed after them. The ticking noise was still bugging her.

--

"Brainy, know anything about our robber?" Batgirl asked over her communications line.

"No, but he isn't normal," Brainy replied.

"Then this might be a fun fight," Lightning Lad said, with Timber Wolf nodding in agreement.

They landed near the museum and ran into the museum. The place looked destroyed, and was very messy. Weird creatures with a clock in their stomachs was grabbing anything valuable they could get their hands on. Lucas hid somewhere and began videotaping. Cham looked at the creatures with a raised eyebrow.

"What the heck are those things?" he asked.

"Doesn't matter," Lightning Lad said. "Let's make the first move!"

He threw a lightning charge at one of them, shocking it. The others turned and lunged at them. The Legion took their stance, and striked right back! Batgirl slashed one of them with her batarang and it disappeared into thin air. She blinked.

"These things," she said. "These things aren't solid."

"Then what are they?" Superman asked as he hit one of them with his laser beams.

"I don't know," Batgirl said as she stuffed a small circle into one of the creatures, then jumped back as it set off.

"They are called Chronologers," a voice said from behind. "And they work for me."

Batgirl turned a saw man standing there wearing a brown busniess suit, a matching hat, and holding a pocket watch that had a chain. He was smirking. Batgirl took out a batarang.

"Who are you?" she demanded.

"You can call me Time Zone," he said.

"Time Zone?" she asked, hearing her friends fighting the things called Chronologers.

"Yes, because I can control the very fabricate of time," he answered her.

"What?!" she said, her eyes widening.

He smirked more and opened his pocket watch. She heard the ticking sound, a sound that the second hand makes on a clock. When the ticking stopped, Time Zone was no longer infront of her.

"Wh-Where-?" she was interrupted.

"Behind you," Time Zone said.

She turned her head, only to recieve a back hand to her face. She stumbled back, and looked at him. He was looking very calm.

"You see, I can freeze time, fast forward, or go back in time," Time Zone said. "All thanks to my watch."

She narrowed her eyes and looked at him. She lunged at him, but the ticking sound returned, and then... Time Zone was gone. She rolled on the ground then got back onto her knees and looked to see Time Zone leaning against a wall. She growled.

_"That creep is messing with me!"_ Batgirl growled as she threw a batarang at him.

The ticking noise returned, and Time Zone wasn't there anymore. She growled, she was getting annoyed of him moving when he wanted to.

"Where did he go," she said.

"Behind you, my dear," Time Zone said.

She turned quickly, and watched as he was about to open his pocket watch. She was about to open it, when she grabbed it aswell. His eyes widened as he heard the ticking noise.

"No you fool! What are you doing?!" he demanded as a portal opened for them.

Batgirl's eyes widened as they fell into it. What was going on? The portal closed behind the two, and the ticking noise ended. Lucas blinked.

"Where'd Kari go?" he said to himself.

Batgirl was still holding onto the pocket watch, as the two went through a tunnel full of clocks. Time Zone was fightning to snatch the watch from her.

"Let go you little twerp!" he said.

Batgirl ignored him as she looked at the clocks. They were all going... backwards. She felt a tug, and looked to see Time Zone trying to rip the watch out of her hands. She growled and tugged right back.

"What's going on Time Zone?!" she demanded.

"Let go! We're going too far back in time!" he said, tugging it back.

She snarled as she thrusted the watch back. With the forces of the two, the joint where the pocket and the chain met was snapped. Batgirl gasped as she held the pocket watch in her hands, and Time Zone had the chain.

"You idiot! Look what you've done!" he said.

Batgirl didn't get the chance to say anything as two circular portals opened. Batgirl went in one of them, while Time Zone went in the other portal. The portal opened and she landed on a paved concrete road. She groaned as she stood up, only to be greeted with a honking noise. She turned and a car headed her way, before swerving and missing her completely. She stood up, and jumped over a small blue prius. She took out her grappling hook and shot it at a nearby building. She swung off the freeway and onto paved sidewalks.

_"This is why I like hover cars! That way, when I'm walking on the ground, THEY'RE NOT TRYING TO HIT ME!"_ she thought to herself.

She sighed and looked at the pocket watch in her hand. She then placed it in one of her pouches. She turned back to the freeway, and watched as speeding cars flew down the road. She leaned back on the railing, thinking.

_"So, I wonder what time year I'm in,"_ she thought.

She stood back up, grabbed the railing, and jumped over it. She was lucky as she hit the ground. She leaned against the wall with a sigh. The last thing she needed was for someone to see her as Batgirl. She sighed and got up, about to walk to the left, when she was face to face with a man she never thought she'd see in her life. Her eyes widened.

"Batman," she breathed.

(How many of you thought he'd appear in this fic? Really, how many? Also,this is set in the 90's series)

Behind Batman was Robin and Batgirl. Both gasped when they saw Batgirl (Kari).

"Hey! Who are you?" Robin asked.

Kari took in a breath.

"My codename is Batgirl," she said. "I'm from the 31st century."

"What's your real name?" Batman asked coldly.

Kari flinched a bit.

"I'll tell you when we get to the Batcave," Kari said.

"You will tell me now," he said. "We're not taking you there."

"How did she even know?" Robin whispered to Batgirl.

"I don't know. She said she was from the 31st century," Batgirl said.

Kari's eyes slitted, and Robin was surprised at how identical Batman and Kari looked.

"Like it matters! I know where it is, and I can certainly find it's entrance!" she said, smiling smugly.

Batman seemed to grimace at this. What of this girl was lying? He was taking a risky shot, but he wanted to know why there was another Batgirl around Gotham.

"Alright, you can come," he said, turning with his cape following him.

Kari smirked, and followed after him and his two sidekicks.

--

The four arrived in the Batcave, greeted by Alfred. Kari used all the energy in her body not to jump on Alfred and say hello to him. She looked around.

"Now that you're here, tell us you're name," Batman said.

She grabbed her hood mask and pulled it back. All four of them gasped at how identical she looked to Bruce. She smirked.

"You see, my name is," she said, "Kari Wayne."

Robin and Batgirl's eyes widened, looking at Bruce who was just as surprised.

"This has to be a joke," Robin said.

Kari threw him an annoyed glare.

"I said I was from the 31st century, that means, IT'S POSSIBLE!!" she thundered.

Robin jumped back at her anger. Batgirl seemed calm.

"So, you're one of his decendents, right?" Batgirl asked, taking off her mask.

Kari looked over at Barbara and nodded.

"That's right," she answered.

"So then, why are you here?" Batman asked, sitting in his seat.

She looked over at her ancestor. She began to explain to him everything from the minute she saw the video to the point in time now. Robin and Barbara looked bewildered, while Alfred looked a little surprised. Batman was hiding his emotions.

"Say again how you got here?" Robin asked.

"By Time Zone's watch," she said, showing him the watch.

He took it and opened it. Kari was about to tell him not too, but when he opened it, there was no ticking noise. She blinked. Robin looked annoyed at how plain the watch was.

"Are you positive this watch ws what got you here?" he asked.

Kari looked surprised.

"Y-yeah," she said. "When it opens, there's suppose to be a ticking sound..."

Robin shook it, placing his ear against it.

"Well, I don't hear anything," he said.

"Maybe it's busted," Barbara said.

"Could be," Robin said.

"I don't think so," Batman said.

Everyone looked at him.

"There might be something that isn't allowing it to use it's full power," Batman said. "It is future technology."

"Hm... Maybe," Kari said, taking back the watch.

Suddenly, an alert sound rang out through the Batcave. Batman, the closes to the computer, typed something in. Kari and the others circled around him as he brought up a picture of the trouble. Kari gasped when she saw...

"Chronologers," she whispered.

"What?" Barbara asked.

"Those things, they're called Chronologers," Kari said. "They're Time Zone's little minions."

"So then, Time Zone must be close by," Robin said.

"Let's go," Batman said, getting up.

Both Batgirls placed their masks on and followed Batman and Robin.

--

The four heroes walked into the bank and looked at the Chronologers. Robin was taken back by how weird they looked.

"Those things are weird," he said.

"Don't care, we need to just stop them," Kari said, taking out an exploding batarang and throwing it at a random Chronologer.

The exploding took off in the Chronologer, and it turned to thin air. This alerted the other Chronolgers, who immediatly lunged on the four. Kari dodged and sliced one in half.

_"Deja vu much!"_ she thought as she placed an exploding device in one of it's body.

Robin jumped over it and tried to slam into it from the back, but he went through it. His eyes widened.

"What the heck?" he said.

"There made of air, so physical force isn't useful," Kari shouted as she used a shocking device on one of them.

"We meet again," Time Zone whispered from the shadows. His eyes widened when he saw two Batgirls. _"Which one is the brat that that brought me here to the past? Oh well, I'll just hit them both!"_

He took out two sharp objects and threw them at the two Batgirls. Neither saw them coming. Batman and Robin turned around just in time to see the objects come the Batgirls' way. Batman took out two batarangs and threw them at the sharp obects, deflecting them. Kari turned when she heard the sounds. In the shadows, she saw Time Zone.

"Time Zone!" she said, taking out a batarang of her own and throwing it at him.

He smirked as he moved out of the way.

"I may not have my watch back, but I can still move out of the way," he said.

She growled as she ran and tried to kick him in the head. He moved out of the way again. She touched the ground and did a thrust kick up to his chin. He flew back and fell on his back. He grunted as he sat up and looked up at her. She grabbed him by the collar of his shirt and brought him to her face level.

"What's the watches power?" she asked. "How does it control time?"

"How do you know I don't control time?" he smirked.

"Because you could have poofed out of my hands any minute now! Now, answer me!" she demanded.

"The watch isn't broken, if that's what you mean. It's just not connected to it's source," Time Zone said.

"No riddles, just answers!" Kari growled, getting annoyed with him.

"That was the answer," he said.

She was about to say something when one of the Chronologers flew out and hit her head on, making her release Time Zone from her grip. Her eyes widened as two more Chronolgers flew out, grabbed Time Zone by the arms and fazed through the floor.

"We will meet again Batgirl," Time Zone said before completely disappearing.

Kari growled under her breath. She turned and looked at the others.

"Okay," Robin said. "Where did they go?"

"Don't know," Batgirl said, then looked over at Kari who stood up. "You okay?"

"I'll live," she joked.

"Let's get back to the Batcave," Batman said.

--

The four returned in the Batcave. Kari took off her mask and sighed.

"Stupid Time Zone got away again!" she said.

"Did you figure out how the clock works?" Robin asked.

"All Time Zone said was, it's not connected to it's source," Kari said.

"It's source? Isn't the source of a watch it's battery?" Barbara asked.

Kari nodded. She popped the back open, only to see the battery. She grimaced, then closed the back.

"Nope, it's got it's battery," she said.

"So then, what can be the source?" Robin asked.

"Master Bruce," Alfred said.

All four looked at Alfred.

"You have an invitation to a party," Alfred said, handing the invitation.

He read through it.

"Anybody up for a party?" he asked.

"Sorry Batman," Barbara said. "Sounds fun, but I still have school. See ya."

She ran out of the cave to get back to her school.

"Robin?" Batman asked.

"Sorry, I can't. I'm going to sharpen up my weapons and make some new weapons for those Chronologers," Robin said.

Batman looked at Kari with a raised eyebrow. She sighed.

"I've got nothing better to do," she said.

"Good, I'm sure we have something for you to wear," he said.

She smirked at him as she followed Alfred to a spare room to change.

--

"You look very nice Kari," Bruce whispered to Kari as they stood in the ballroom, next to the punch table.

"Why thank you Bruce," she said. "So what's the story?"

"You're my second cousin's niece," Bruce said.

"Where have we been living all these years?" she asked, looking around.

"You've been in Italy for a while till you recently came over to the states for a visit," Bruce said.

"Oh good, I know a bunch of words to say in Italin," she said.

He chuckled.

"Glad you like it," he said.

"I'm changing the story," she said.

"Oh? And what's the story?" he asked.

"I've lived in the states till I was 7 when my parents moved to Italy for the Peace Corps," she said.

"That long in the peace corps?" he joked.

"They liked it there and kept applying for the position," she said.

"And you're here on a visit?" he said.

"You betcha," she said.

"Mister Wayne," a female's voice said.

The two turned and saw a random, overweight business woman come their way. Kari rose an eyebrow.

_"She looks familiar,"_ she thought.

"Mister Wayne," she said.

"Miss Fidshui," Bruce said.

Kari bit her lip to not laugh at the lame name.

_"And I thought the future and weird names,"_ she thought, inwardly laughing.

To stop from laughing out loud, she grabbed a punch cup and began to take sips of it.

"Miss Fidshui, it's nice to see you here," he said.

"Same to you Mister Bruce Wayne," she said. She then spotted Kari. "Why Mister Wayne, is this your newest _catch_? She looks a little young to be thirty."

Kari's eyes widened as she spitted out punch.

_"Where the heck did that come from?"_ she thought. _"AND I'M NOT THIRTY!!"_

Bruce looked embarrased.

"Why no Miss Fidshui," he said. "This is my second cousins' niece. She's visiting from Italy."

"Oh? Can she speak or understand English?" the woman asked.

"Yes," Kari said through her teeth.

The woman blinked. Bruce nudged her. She then looked at Miss Fidshui.

"Sorry, the punch was a little sour, so my... um-teeth clenched together," she said, making an excuse.

"Oh! Well for someone who lives in Italy, you speak very excelent english," the business woman said.

"Well, I've lived here in the states till I was seven, when my parents signed up for the peace corps and headed over to Italy, I going with them," Kari explained.

"Oh really?" the woman said suspiously. "I've been in the Peace Corps before too!"

Her mood had brightened. Kari sighed in relief.

"But tell me, why have they been in Italy for so long?" Fidshui asked.

"My parents fell in love with the place and kept applying for it," she said. "I got bored so I came to the states to visit Brucie here."

Bruce sent her a small annoyed glare, which she ignored. Fidshui chuckled.

"I see!" she said. "Well, I told Mr. Tournish I was going to tell him a story of the beach last week."

"You went to the beach last week?" Kari asked.

"You bet deary," she said. "And just between us girls, I wore a bikini."

Kari grimaced at the image. The woman said goodbye to the two Wayne's before walking off. Once gone, Kari grimaced more and began to beat her head, trying to rid herself of the image.

"You alright?" Bruce asked.

"No! I've got an image that won't go away!" she said.

He chuckled. Once the image was gone, she decided to see the things on display. She walked down the items. The men behind the counter tried to sell her jewelry, but she refused. She stopped when she saw some pocket watches; she studied them. Then, her eyes widened as she figured it out. She turned back to the crowd and began looking for her ancestor.

"Bruce. Bruce!" she called.

Bruce turned.

"What's the matter?" he asked.

"I figured out what Time Zone was trying to say," Kari said. "The source for the watch is-"

She was cut off by an explosion. They looked to see Chronologers crawl in from the roof.

"Oh come on!" Kari complained.

Bruce took out his batcom.

"Alfred," he said, "send Robin and have him bring us our costumes."

"Right away Master Bruce," Alfred said.

"Duck!" Kari said, pulling Bruce by the arm.

Both ducked as one of the statue's heads flew their way. Bruce got up.

"Come on, we need to get outside," he said.

She got up and followed him. A Chronologer watched them run. It took it's stance, lunged, and was able to grab Kari by her ankles and make her trip. She fell face forward with a grunt. Bruce turned and saw his decendent on the ground. He looked for something to hit it with. Kari just scrambled, trying to kick it, even though the kicks went through the body. It opened it's mouth, growling at her. She looked away in disgust.

"Two words: Breath Mint!" she said.

The thing was about to bite her, when a foam sprayed onto it. It released Kari as it held it's head in pain. Kari got up to see Bruce holding a fire extingusher. She smiled at him.

"Thanks."

"Can't let that thing hurt my great granddaughter," Bruce said, not even trying to think of how many "greats" it would be."

She smiled, then followed him outside of the building, just as the police arrived. The two ran into the alley next to the building. In the alley was Robin on his motorcycle and the batmobile behind him.

"Somebody call a hero?" Robin joked.

The two rolled their eyes as they grabbed their costumes and quickly changed.

"Come on, the police don't know how to fight them," Kari said.

Instead of going through the front, they went a different way. Back inside the building, the police were shooting at the Chronologers, but the bullets went through them.

"What are they?!" Gordon said, stunned.

"They are my pets," Time Zone said, exiting the shadows.

Everyone turned their guns on him. Something was different about him though. He was now holding a cane.

"And I'd very much appricate it if you would not point those at me," he said calmly.

The police didn't budge. Time Zone closed his eyes and smirked.

"So you won't place nicely, eh?" he asked.

He snapped his fingers, and before he knew it, Chronologers were lunging at them. Three weapons flew down from the sky and implanted themselves into the backs of three Chronologers. The three weapons exploding, catching everyone elses attentions. Up on the roof, where the big hole was, was Batman, Batgirl (Kari), and Robin. Time Zone smirked.

"It's good to see you three," he said.

"What's with the cane? Did I damage you that much?" Batgirl said, giving a side smirk.

He smirked.

"My dear, you barely even left a scratch," he said.

"Did she now? Then scratch this!" Robins said, taking out one of his own weapons and throwing it at him.

Time Zone smirked, as a Chronologer jumped in the air and deflected the weapon. Robin's eyebrow twitched in annoyence. These Chronologers were getting on his nerves. The Chronologers lunged into the air. Kari and Batman threw exploding batarangs at the Chronologers. It took some out, but the others still came their way. All three of them jumped out of the way before the Chronologers could hit. They landed on the ground to get jumped by some Chronologers. Kari took out an exploding circular device that got rid of the Chronologer. She stumbled back. Robin shook his off of him, and regained balance next to Kari.

"Hey Robin, I've got an idea," Kari said.

"And that would be what?"

"How do you make something out of gas, solid?" Kari asked, throwing a batarang at Chronologer.

"You... freeze it?" Robin said.

Kari smirked.

"You bet," she said.

"Well I hate to break it to you, but Mr. Freeze is in Arkham," Robin said, throwing an exploding weapon of his own.

"But what of his weapon?" she asked.

He was stumped. Kari reached into one of his pouches and grabbed his motorcylce's key.

"Hey!"

"Be back soon!" she called as she ran out the door.

"Batgirl!" Gordon called when she got outside. "What's going on in there?"

"The fight's going... well," she said.

"Anything we can do to help?" he asked.

"Fire extingushers would help," Kari said as she ran into the alley, got on Robin's bike, placed on his helmet, then started it up.

She drove out of there at top speed, heading back to the Batcave. When she arrived, she got off the bike, took off the helmet, then ran to where he kept the stuff he took from his enemies.

"Looking for something miss?" Alfred asked.

"Mr. Freeze's freeze ray gun," Kari said as she searched around. "Aha! Found it!"

She ran back to the bike, started it up, and drove back to the building. She parked the bike, got off and ran inside. The police were in there, using the extingushers on the Chronologers. Robin would then come and brake the ice. Batman was over with Time Zone.

"Batman!" she called.

Batman looked and saw her with the gun.

"Give it to Robin," he said, going back to hit Time Zone.

"Robin, catch!"

Robin turned just as she threw the ray gun at him. He took it and began to freeze the Chronologers. Kari ran past them over to Batman and Time Zone. His back was turned to her, so she was able to get a knee to the back. He staggered forward. He turned and looked at her. She had a sided smirk.

"You should be helping Robin," Batman said.

"He's my enemy, so I'm helping out," she said.

Batman didn't say anything. He knew fighting with her wasn't going to get them anywhere. Time Zone swung his cane at Batman's head. He ducked and swept his feet, making him fall back. Time Zone landed on the ground. Kari kicked the cane out of his hand, the cane skidding to the other side of the room. He growled at her, but she stepped on one of his wrists. She smirked.

"Time's up," she said.

"I don't care. I am still the only one who can get you home," he said.

She smirked more.

"Not necissarily," she said.

--

After cuffing Time Zone up, they sat him on the stairs in the front. Kari walked over to him, and ripped the chain off of him. She took out a small device, and within seconds, the watch was connected to the chain. She smiled as she held it up.

"This was the source," she said.

"The chain was the source?" Robin asked.

"The watch and the chain needed to be together before it would work," she said.

"That's why when Robin opened it, it wasn't working, the chain wasn't with it," Batman said.

She nodded.

"Very good child, it seems you know how to get back to our time," Time Zone said. "I am ready to go."

Kari rose her eyebrow.

"And what makes you think you're going to the future?" Kari asked. "You're staying here, where you can't cause trouble."

Time Zone growled at her. The police took Time Zone, placed him in the car, and drove him off to Arkham. Kari, Robin, and Batman were the last ones there.

"So you're going to leave us now?" Robin asked.

"I gotta get back to my time. My team is probably wondering where I'm at," she said.

"Well, I can't really say I'm going to see you later," Robin joked.

Kari nodded.

"See ya," she said.

Batman smiled and nodded at her. She smiled back. She took a few steps back, and opened the pocket watch. The ticking sound began. Everything around her began to slow down. She then found herself in the tunnel of clocks like before, this time, they were moving forward.

_"Now if this is anything like the Wizard of Oz_ (Bouncing Boy found the video and made everyone watch it once)_, I should just think about going home,"_ Kari thought.

She closed her eyes, and thought of her time. The watch in her hand began to move faster. She opened her eyes and found herself slowly returning to the 31st ccentury, infront of the Legion tower. She closed the watch, and everything went back to normal speed.

_"Wonder what time it is," _she thought as she walked into the tower.

She walked in the tower, looking everywhere for the others. The last place to look was the lounge. She walked in and found the team there. They were all around something.

"Hey guys," she said.

Everyone jumped as they turned to see her there. She took off her mask and looked at them.

"What's going on?" she asked.

Nobody answered her. This worried her, especially with Alfred there.

"What's going on?" she asked again.

Cosmic Boy stepped forward.

"I'm sorry," he said.

"Sorry for what? What the heck is going on!?" she demaned. "Answer me!"

Cosmic Boy closed his eyes with a sigh, before looking back at her. He moved aside, and the others did the same. On the couch was Shrinking Violet, next to Lucas's body. Kari's eyes widened as she looked at the pale body of her childhood friend. His chest wasn't rising, or falling. Violet had silent tears rolling down her cheeks. Kari's breathing slowed down.

"L-Lu-Lucas?" she asked.

"I'm sorry Kari," Cosmic Boy said, "he's dead."

To be continued ...

--

Me: Finished with the thirtteenth chapter. Oh no! Lucas is dead! How did he die? And how will this impact Kari? Please continue to read, and please review.


	14. It Hurts

Disclaimer: Me: Hi everyone. Here's Chapter Fourteen, the continuation of the last one. I hope you all like it. Might be short.

Title: Bat of the Future

Author: AnimeGirl 144

Chapter 14: It Hurts

--

Kari stood where she was, hurt. Her breathing was still unsteady, as her eyes stared at her friend's lifeless body. Tears formed in her eyes as she took steps back. How long has he been dead? How did he die? Why did he die? Cosmic Boy saw her reaction.

"Kari, it's going to be alright," he said.

She ignored him as she continued to breath uneasily.

"Please, just calm down," he said, placing a hand on her shoulder.

She brushed it off and turned quickly, running out of the room. She didn't want to be here anymore.

"Kari!" Cham said, about to run after her.

Cosmic Boy placed a hand on his shoulder, stopping him.

"No Cham," he said.

"But she-"

"I know, but we need to just give her some time alone."

--

A shuriken flew and hit a tree, digging itself inside of it. Another shuriken hit the same tree. Kari, as Batgirl, breathed in hardly and unsteadily breathed out. Clouds above her were dark gray, and looking ready to rain. She breathed heavily as she took out another shuriken and throwing it at the tree. She was using every energy in her body. She was in so much pain, she just wanted to get rid of the pain. She reached for another shuriken, but wasn't able to find any. She walked over to the tree and grabbed one of the shurikens. She yanked it out hard. Because of the force she used, the shuriken sliced her glove, and her skin.

She didn't even notice the pain as she took out the other nine objects in the tree. She walked back to where she used to be, and began to throw the weapons at the tree. The rain began to fall as she threw the third object. She took out the next object, was about to throw it, when a hand grabbed her by the wrist and stopping her from throwing it. She looked to see Cosmic Boy.

"Let go," she said through her clenched teeth.

"Not until you let go of the shuriken and stop what you're doing," Cosmic said.

Batgirl tried to rip her hand out of his wrist, but wasn't able to. She continued to try, but gave up and released the shuriken. It dropped to the ground with a "clang." Cosmic slowly released her wrist. Once he released it, she dropped it to her side. She turned her back to him and placed her weapons away in her pouches.

"You shouldn't be out here, not in this type of weather," he said.

She took off her mask and glared at him.

"I don't care," she said.

Cosmic didn't understand why she was so angry at him. Then again, she was just angry at the fact that her friend was dead. He heard a "thud" and looked to see her throwing shurikens at another tree. He sighed and lifted his hands. All the shurikens flew towards him. She turned and growled at him.

"Give them back," she demanded.

"You're going to hurt yourself," he said.

"I don't care! Just give me those back now!"

He sighed.

"I know you're angry Kari, but that's no reason to put yourself in pain," he said.

She looked ready to say something, but she didn't say anything. His eyes looked at her, and noticed something trailing down her face.

"Are you crying?" he asked.

"No! I'm fine!" she said, still glaring at him.

"I know you miss him, but you shouldn't beat yourself up because of it," Cosmic said.

She clenched her fists. She didn't know what to say; she didn't know what to do! She was glad it was raining, because now the rain drops hid her tears. But she wanted to let all the pain out. But she didn't want to look weak, not infront of anyone.

"H-how's Violet and Alfred?" Kari asked, her anger in check.

"Very doing... alright," Cosmic said. "Vi's a little shaky, but she's going to make it."

Kari only nodded. Cosmic sighed.

"But I feel terrible," he said.

"Why? What did you do?" she asked.

He closed his eyes.

"I am the reason Lucas is dead," he said.

Kari's eyes widened.

"W-what?" she said. "What do you mean?!"

"I wasn't paying attention," he said. "When you left, those creatures became confused, and more violent. We didn't know how to fight them, or how to get rid of them. I wasn't watching my back as I was taking care of another one of the creatures, when one came up behind me. I guess it was going to try and kill me by making his hand into a sharp sword. No one but Lucas saw it about to happen. Thinking quickly, he came out and used his body, recieving the hit. We watched him fall to the ground, blood coming out of the hole the thing had left. He went pale quickly, and nothing came from his mouth. Violet was in pain, and exploded, scaring away the creauters. We brought him back to the tower, hoping to help him, but we couldn't. He was gone. I am truely sorry."

Kari's eyes shook as this all sank in. She stumbled back, and sat on the ground, against the tree. Her tears formed, and rolled down her cheeks. Cosmic closed his eyes again.

"What did I do wrong?" Kari said.

"Huh?" Cosmic said, opening his eyes in shock.

"I must have done something wrong, to piss someone off up there," Kari said. "First my parents, now my friend. Who's next?"

Cosmic was silent.

"Who else do I have to loose before the pain stops?!" Kari shouted.

The birds that hadn't taken flight from the rain definately took off after her outburst. Cosmic looked at her with sincere eyes. She brought her knees to her chest, and barried her head in her knees with her arms hugging her knees. She didn't care if she looked weak, she just wanted to let the tears run till they couldn't run no more. Cosmic didn't move an inch.

"I know how you feel," he said finally.

"How? How have you felt this pain?" she asked, not looking up at him.

"Ferro Lad was someone I met when I was exploring the different worlds. He had a special power, and it seemed useful to the Legion, so I made him a Legion member. Lightning Lad wasn't happy, since we didn't know much about him, plus, Lightning Lad and I didn't see eye to eye too much. (Kari looks up at him) But he proved himself a hero. He sacrifice himself when the first explosion didn't get rid of the Sun Eater," Cosmic said. "We lost a friend."

"I-I remember that. The Sun Eater," Kari said.

Cosmic nodded.

"Then, Saturn Girl was hit by two of the Fatal Five members after Imperiex released them. We thought we lost her, because she went into incoma, but went into her healing trance and healed herself, before waking up again," Cosmic said.

Kari nodded.

"Then... we lost Superman," Cosmic said.

Kari gasped. She looked like she didn't believe him.

"Brainy's ancestor Brainiac 1 took over his body. When Superman tried stopping him from leaving the ship, he tricked Superman, and placed a kryptonite ring around his head. The kryptonite was already affecting his blood system before we could help him," Cosmic said.

Kari was interested now. If Superman was suposidly dead, why was he here now?

"We were too late, and he died," Cosmic said. "We sent him into the sun. We lost our hero, and our friend. Without Superman to help Brainy, what was the hope for the rest of us?"

"But the sun," Kari said.

"Huh?" Cosmic said, surprised she interrupted him.

"The sun, that's Superman's strength. The sun gives him his strength! Didn't the sun revearse the kryptonite affect?" Kari said. (I thought this when they all said he was dead. THE SUN WAS WHAT HELPED HIM COME BACK TO LIFE!!)

Cosmic blinked, then nodded.

"You might be right. The sun might have revearsed the affect, giving him enough energy to call out to Kell-El," Cosmic said. (They've already told her about Superman X)

Kari nodded, before looking at the ground.

"Even though Superman and Saturn Girl are still alive, it still hurts to know that we might have lost them, or did loose them," Cosmic said.

Kari nodded. The rain continued to fall. Kari looked up to see a hand in her face. She looked up and saw Cosmic smiling at her.

"Come on, we need to get back to the tower, the others are worried about you," he said.

She nodded. She took the hand and he help her up. He released her hand and she held her's out expectintly. He looked at her, and she returned the gaze with a raised eyebrow. He finally caught on.

"Let me have them back," she said.

"When we get back to the tower," he said, floating off the ground.

She side smirked at him, walking to her Batplane (the legion brought it after the fight with the Chronologers). She started it up and followed after Cosmic Boy back to the tower, even beating him there. When she walked in, Alfred was first to greet her. He understood her. She smiled at him, telling him she would be okay. Vi was next to speak with her. Kari could see the trail of tears, and guessed her face must have looked the same. Both didn't need to say a word, they already knew. They know had each other, Alfred, and of course the Legion. After that, other Legion members came up to her, wondering if she would be okay. She assured them she would be fine. Still, there was one matter to take care of.

"What are we going to do for Lucas?" Vi asked, once the two were alone again.

"We're going to give him a proper barreal and grave ceremony," Kari said.

"When?"

"Two days from now," Kari said. "He deserves that."

Vi nodded, then got up. She was tired, and needed some sleep. Kari nodded, doing the same. She walked to her room, to see Cosmic Boy by her door. She smiled at him.

"Thanks," she said.

"No problem," he said. "By the way, where did you go early today?"

She smirked.

"I'll tell you all tomorrow," she said. "You'll all be surprised. Night."

"Night," he said as she entered her room.

She changed into her night clothes and was about to go into her bed, but stopped when she looked outside. She stared at the rain sadly.

_"I met Batman, my ancestor, today, and couldn't even tell Lucas,"_ she thought.

She crawled into her sheets and just stared blankly into space.

_"He would have flipped at the thought,"_ she thought.

She closed her eyes, and began to drift off.

_"It's going to be quiet,"_ was her final thought as sleep consumed her.

A little rest was appricated.

To be continued ...

--

Me: Finished with the fourteenth chapter. I could have continued this on the earlier chapter, but I wanted this separate. Kari and Cosmic needed a moment with each other, and I thought this would be the perfect time for it. But with Lucas gone, how will everything be with Kari? Please continue to read, and please review.


	15. Pain is Spelt PANE

Disclaimer: Me: Hi everyone. Here's Chapter Fifteen. I hope you all like it.

Title: Bat of the Future

Author: AnimeGirl 144

Chapter 15: Pain is Spelt P.A.N.E.

--

"So, why'd you call me here?" a voice asked.

"Because, I hear you are unlike any other people I've met," the stranger said.

The two were in the dimily lit room. Catgirl, Rose Thorne, Clayface, Icy, Birdy (the Legion of Doom broke him out of jail), and the Hatter were standing in a circle and watching the two. The newbie looked around.

"So, what's the Legion of Doom about?"

"Everything the Legion of Superheroes are against," the man said.

"Sounds good to me. I hate dose guys," the man said, revealing his Brooklyn accent (sounds a little like Joey's voice from _YU-GI-OH!_).

"Our biggest threat is the Batgirl," the man said.

"Why her? Isn't Superman much more dangerous?" the newbie asked.

"He is, physically," the man said. "But mentally, Batgirl is a threat."

"What about that robot thing?" the newbie asked.

"Brainiac 5? Yes, he is a threat, but he isn't as easy to get rid of as the girl," the man said.

"And what's da difference?"

"Batgirl is human, she can be taken apart," the man said, "but she can't be put back together like the android."

"So, all you want me ta do is get rid of her?"

"If you're up to it," the man said, smirking.

The newbie smirked more.

"Dey don't call me Pane for nothin'," the newbie said.

The man nodded.

"Then get going, I want her gone."

"No problem," Pane said as he walked out of the room.

--

Kari sat down at her desk in her room, going over the company's stocks and other numbers. Alfred was doing a good job at keeping the business running. But this was her company, and she couldn't just keep letting Alfred do her work. She was still keeping her head about what happened to Lucas, and the others were careful to not say his name infront of her and Vi. That annoyed her a bit, but understood their reasoning.

She turned off her computer and walked out of her room. She walked down the hall until she came into the lounge room. Brainy was at COMPUTO. He was the only one in it. Kari knew Brainy was a bit antisocial, especially after his whole ancestor taking over thing. Still, that didn't stop her from speaking with him; for some reason, he didn't mind speaking with her.

"Hey Brainy," she said, walking over to him.

"Hey Kari," he said, going back to the computer screen.

"Where is everybody?" she asked.

"Superman, Star Boy, and Sun Boy are out on another mission across the galaxy," Brainy said. "Saturn Girl, Lightning Lad, and Triplicate Girl are on a mission in the Nega star system. Timber Wolf-"

"No offence Brainy, but I don't want to know anymore," she said. "Are we the only two here?"

Brainy nodded.

"Yes, Vi dragged Cham and Comic somewhere, but they'll come back soon," Brainy said.

Kari nodded, then looked at the screen.

"Whatcha working on?" she asked.

Brainy shrugged.

"I'm actually reworking this. I started it three years ago, but never got back to it till now," he answered.

"Ohhh," Kari said.

She walked over to the other side of COMPUTO and began to type something in.

"What are you doing?" Brainy asked from the other side.

"Looking at New Gotham," she answered.

"Why?"

"Cause I am," she replied.

Brainy rolled his eyes as he continued working on his project. Kari looked over New Gotham, before typing again. Instead of the map, blue prints came up on the screen. It was Brainy's project. She studied it for a minute, then became confused. She had to keep her mouth shut, or else he would know she was looking at his project. She typed something in, and a little box came up saying download complete. She exited out of the project, then looked back at New Gotham. She exited out of that, and left COMPUTO.

"Where are you going?" he asked.

She looked at him with a raised eyebrow.

"You sound like Cosmic Boy," she said.

He smirked.

"Answer the question," he said.

"I'm going to my room," she said.

He nodded, then became concentrated on his work again. Kari walked out of the lounge room, and into her room. She walked to her computer, turned it on, and looked at her screen to see the download box that said, downloading complete. She opened the file, and looked over the design. It was something she's never seen before. Parts of the design she did understand, however. But she still didn't understand what they were going to be used for.

--

It was early in the evening, and the Legionnaires that were at the tower were all in the lounge. They were either on COMPUTO (Which was Brainy), or watching television. Kari, on the other hand, was in her room, looking over the stocks again. Then, her Batcom went off. She placed on her mask, and answered it. Commissioner Gordon's face popped up on the screen.

"Yes Commissioner Gordon?" Batgirl asked.

"Batgirl! Just a little while ago, an armered turck was hit by an unknown force. We want you to head down there to check it out," Gordon said.

"Shouldn't the police?" Batgirl asked.

"We would go there, but when the call came in, the two in the truck... well, what ever stopped the truck, stopped them," Gordon said.

Batgirl nodded, understanding what he meant.

"Alright, I'll head over," she said, turning off the tranmission.

She stood up and ran out of her room. She ran into the lounge.

"Hey guys, I'm going to New Gotham," she said, before turning to leave. "I'll be back soon."

"Wait!" Vi shouted.

Batgirl didn't stop running, only continued to run. Vi looked a little sad.

"Don't you want help?" she said, to herself now.

--

Batgirl landed in a construction area where she saw the armered truck. She walked over to it and looked in it. The bodies of the two dead people were in the front, and the money it was trasporting was still in the truck. This was odd, even to her. But in the shadows, a person about her size hid, waiting for her to let her guard down. He saw his oppertunity.

"Strange," Batgirl said as she looked into the armered truck somemore.

A shadow hung over her. The person was about to pound her, but she moved out of the way in time. She looked at him with a smirk.

"I can tell when I'm being set up," Batgirl said, throwing an exploding batarang.

Smoke surrounded the person. Batgirl took out a batarang and slowly advanced towards the dissolving smoke.smoke. The smoke cleared, and now, a 7 foot tall person was standing there. The skin was tomato red, with the suit being black. He had dark yellow eyes. On his knuckles were sleeveless gloves with yellow circles on them, a yellow line connecting from the circles to his shoulders. He smirked, and watched as Batgirl took a step back. The person smirked at her.

"What's da matter? Scared?" he teased, stepping forward.

She glared at him as she stood her ground.

"Dey call me Pane, on da account of da pain I deliever!" Pane said as he thrusted his fists down.

(If you're confused on what he looks like, look at Bane from _The Batman_, he's based off of that)

Batgirl jumped, but he caught her leg, squeezing it. Waves of pain were sent to her nervous system. He then threw her to the ground. She landed on her left side. More waves of pain hit her. She tried to stand up, but a pwoerful kick to the stomach stopped that. She fell back, and tried to regain breath. Pane grabbed her by her left arm and threw heragainst a metal beam. She fell to the ground with a groan of pain. He walked over to her. She glared at him. She took out a batarang and threw it at him. It bounced off of him and landed on the ground. Her eyes widened. He smirked as he picked her up by her left arm, and crushed it, hearing her bones crack. She screamed in pain.

She threw a foggy smoke substance in his face, making him cough and release her. She fell to the ground. She weakly stood up, holding her left arm. Pane got rid of the smoke and glared at her. He smacked her against her head, making her stagger back, holding her pounding head. She heard a ringing in her ears, and her vision was a little blurry. She watched as Pane came up to her, grabbed her and held her over his head, and slowly bent her like a boomerang till he heard her scream in pain. He smirked.

"Awh, poor little bat. Here, let me get of dat pain!" Pane mocked, throwing her at a brick wall.

The vibration and force when she hit the wall made the metal sheets by it fall to the ground, making a loud noise. She fell on the metal, and the bricks landed on her, burying her underneath. Her vision became extremely blurry. She lifted her head with a groan of pain, but it fell back down. Pane smirked as he walked away.

"Nighty night, batsy," Pane said, chuckling to himself.

Once he was gone, she slowly reached into her pouches and took out her Batcom. Alfred's picture came up.

"Miss Kari?" he asked.

"He-he-he... help," she managed, before fainting.

"Mis Kari?" Alfred asked, alarmed.

She didn't answer. He cancelled the transmission, and dialed a new number. Cosmic Boy's face came up.

"Cosmic Boy here," he said.

"Sir, Miss Kari is badly hurt," Alfred said.

Cosmic looked alarmed.

"Where is she?" he asked.

"I... I don't know," Alfred replied.

"Brainy!" Cosmic said.

Brainy nodded and quickly typed on the keyboard.

"Found her," Brainy said.

Cosmic Boy nodded.

"Here's the coordinates Alfred," Cosmic said. "We'll see you there. Don't worry she's going to be fine."

Alfred nodded, and Cosmic ended the transmission.

"Vi, Cham, let's go!" Cosmic said, as he ran to the front of the tower.

Both had already over heard the transmission, so they were on their way quickly.

--

The three Legionnaires landed and gasped at the sight before them. Batgirl laied buried with the bricks on top of her. She was in extreme pain, not even noticing them.

"Kari!" the three shouted, running to her side.

They moved the bricks off of her, then looked her over. She looked beat. Cosmic Boy knelt by her face.

"Kari?" he asked.

She groaned. Violet ran to her other side.

"Hey Kari?" she asked her friend. "Can you hear me?"

Batgirl groaned, but gave a weak nod.

"Who did this to you?" she asked.

"P-P... Pane," Batgirl whispered weakly.

"Pain?" Violet asked. "You're in pain?"

Batgirl didn't answer as she lost full consiousness.

"Kari?" Vi asked.

No answer.

"Kari?" Cosmi asked.

No answer.

"Kari!" Cham said. "Is she-?"

"No, she's still breathing," Vi answered.

"She's just unconsious," Cosmic answered.

Alfred landed the hover car and stpped out quickly.

"Miss Kari!" he said, alarmed.

He ran to her unconsious body.

"Oh dear! How did this happen?" he asked.

"We don't know," Cham replied. "All she said was 'pain'."

"We need to her medical attention, now," Violet said, worried for her friend.

Cosmic nodded. He bent down and tried to pick her up, but stopped when she whined in pain. He removed his hands.

"She's in way too much pain for us to move her," he said.

"Well we need to find a way," Vi said.

"Cosmic Boy, why not use your metal powers to move her," Cham suggested.

Cosmic nodded, then looked back at Batgirl. His hands glowed purple, as well as the metal sheets beneath her body. He slowly lifted the metal, and she went with them.

"Quickly, bring her this way," Alfred said, opening to door in the back.

Cosmic Boy picked up on the speed, and slowly slid her onto the coushined seats. Alfred closed the door and got into the driver's seat. He took off with the three Legionnaires following him. They would come back for the Batplane later.

--

"Can't you do more for her?!" Violet's voice demanded.

"I am sorry, but I have done all I can for her," an unfamiliar voice answered calmly.

"Well do more," Violet snapped.

"Thank you for all you've done Dr. Suiksi," Cosmic Boy's calm voice said. "Can we speak with you outside?"

"Of course sir," the doctor said.

Footsteps were heard, and the door slid closed, silence filling the room. Kari listened to her heart moniter. It was steady. Kari's eyes stayed shut, as she breathed through a breathing mask. As she laied in bed, she could feel the pain go through her body. It hurt so much that she wanted to cry. She heard a sigh, which told her she wasn't alone. She slowly forced her eyes open, and saw she was in the Legion medbay. She turned her head, winicing in pain, and saw Shrinking Violet, sitting next to her bedside.

"Vi-Vi-Vi..." she stopped trying to sat her friend's name.

"Kari! You're up!" Vi exclaimed happily.

"H-h-how...?" she asked.

"Alfred called, and we traced you to that construction place," Vi replied. "Who did this to you?"

"P-P-Pane," Kari said, her eyes drooping.

"I know you're in pain, but who did this to you?" Violet pressed on.

"N-no... Pa-Pane," Kari said, her eyes shutting.

"Kari?" Violet asked.

Kari didn't reply. Vi leaned back in her seat.

"Pane?" Shrinking Violet said to herself. "Hmm..."

"Thank you Dr. Suiksi," Cosmic said.

"My please, Cosmic Boy," the good doctor said, turning and walking away. "I am hoping she gets better."

"We all are," Cosmic whispered.

"Is she going to be okay?" Cham asked.

Cosmic looked behind his shoulder to see Cham talking with Brainy.

"We're lucky she got here in time, and that Dr. Suiksi helped her," Brainy said. "She will be fine."

"Guys!" Violet yelled, running out of the room and stopping infront of them.

"What is it Vi?" Brainy asked.

"I know who did this to Kari!" Vi said.

"Who?!" the three boys asked.

"Pane!" she said.

"Okay, what do you mean by Pane?" Cosmic asked.

The four Legionnaires were around COMPUTO. Brainy was looking up the name "Pane." Nothing came up, so Violet adviced Brainy to look at Batman's villains that had the closes name to him.

"Kari said Pane, and I thought she just meant her condition. But she said that that was his name," Violet said.

"Found something," Brainy said.

Everyone looked over his shoulder. On the computer screen was a villain by the name of "Bane."

"Says here, he's one of Batman's strongest villain," Brainy read. "His physical strength is close to Superman's. Bane almost placed Batman out of work; almost killed him."

"Sounds just like Pane," Cham said.

"How did Batman stop him?" Violet asked.

"He out smarted him, aswell as out strengthed him," Brainy said.

"Really?" Cham asked.

"Well, it says he electricuted him," Brainy said. "That probably helped him."

"So we have a major problem!" Cham said. "Superman's all the way across the galaxy, and this super creep is somewhere here on Earth."

"He'll show his face, soon," Brainy said.

--

"Did you take care of Batgirl?" the man asked.

"Sure did," Pane said. "She ain't going ta bother anybody again!"

Instead of looking pleased or something, the man looked a little indifferent. He closed his eyes.

"Very good, now leave," he said.

Pane looked surprised, but walked out.

"Don't care. Got stores to steal from," Pane said, walking out of the room.

"Sir, did he really kill her?" Rose Thorne asked.

"He's probably just bluffing," Catgirl said, leaning against the wall.

"He's an idiot," the Hatter said.

"You two are right," the man said.

"Huh?" the three asked.

"Our friend, Pane, believes he killed Batgirl, or atleast weakened her spirit. But Batgirl isn't so easy to get rid of," the man said. "We will watch and see how Pane will do, or if Batgirl even gets up to fight someone again. We will have to see."

--

"So Cos, you brought back the Batplane, right?" Cham asked.

"No," Cosmic said, realizing they left Kari's plane back at the construction place.

"Don't worry, I took care of it," Brainy said. "I placed an automatic device inside of the plane, so I could direct it to come back here."

A screen popped up with a video on it. Everyone looked to see it was a video of the medbay.

"What's going on in the medbay?" Vi asked.

"It's probably Kari, let's go check on her," Cosmic said.

Brainy stayed behind as he looked at New Gotham's map. The other three ran into the medbay to see the heart moniter knocked over, the bed a mess, and Kari halfway out of the bed. Her arm that wasn't in an arm sling was against the bed, keeping her balanced. She grunted in pain as she stood up fully, only to fall back, catching the bed.

"Kari!" the three said.

"I'm f-fine!" Kari shot back.

"No you're not! You're not even able to stand up right!" Cosmic said.

"I can stand up perfectly!" Kari growled.

As she stood up again, she lost her balance and fell backwards again. She caught herself again, but this time, Cosmic Boy walked over to her and placed a hand on her shoulder. She glared up at him. He looked her forcefully in the eyes.

"You're not okay Kari," he said. "You can't even stand!"

She glared harder.

"I am not going to let him stop me! I am going to find him and get rid of him!!" she growled.

The three were surprised at how she was.

"He will rue the day he messed with me!" she growled.

She forcefully slapped his hand away from her. She was loosing her balance, so she reluctantly sat on the bed with a sigh. Cosmic stood over her.

"What am I going to do?" she sighed.

No one answered. What could they say to her? Her eyes scanned the group.

"Where's Alfred?" she asked.

"I... I don't know," Violet said. "He left, but he'll come back."

Kari only nodded, but cringed, and sharply hissed.

"You okay?" Cosmic asked.

She sent him a glare.

"Right. Sorry," he said.

She looked away. Cham stood at the door, looking at her and her injuries. Her left arm was in a sling, above her right forehead was a patch, her right hand was bandaged in wraps, her right leg was also bandaged, and her left ankle was bandaged. Under her outfit, her torso was bandaged. Her lip had cuts, but nothing too serious. Silence filled the room, no one wanting to say anything. Once again, she tried standing up.

"What are you doing?" Cosmic asked.

"I'm going to find Pane," she said.

"You can't stand, remember?" Cosmic said.

Kari ignored him as she was able to find her balance. She smirked at him.

"No ones going to stop me," she said. "No one."

"But how are you going to stop him? You're in no condition to stop him!" Violet said.

"Let's just wait till Superman returns, and have him take care of Pane," Cham suggested.

Kari sent Cham a glare, making Cham look down. Her glares scared him.

"Pane is my enemy, and I'm going to stop him," she said.

She took a step, but ended up in pain. She cringed as the pain went through her body. Cosmic noticed, and gave her a look of scolding her.

"If you want to fight him, at least rest, and fight him when you're better," Cosmic said.

She glared up at him. But sighed.

"Fine," she said, sitting on the bed. "But the minute I get better, I'm going to stop him."

Her voice was threatening, daring the others to disagree with her. The three nodded.

"Alright," Cosmic said.

The three left. Kari watched them leave, then looked around the room. She spotted what she was looking for.

_"When everyone falls asleep, that camera is going down,"_ Kari thought, as she looked at the camera.

--

The three Legionnaires walked in to see Alfred and Brainy at COMPUTO. Brainy nodded, then ended the transmission.

"What's up Brainy?" Cosmic asked.

"I've contacted Superman and told him of the situation. He'll come back to Earth as soon as possible," he said.

"I don't think Kari's going to enjoy knowing that information," Cham said.

"Is Miss Kari alright?" Alfred asked, alarmed.

"She's fine Alfred, you can speak to her if you want," Vi said.

"She probably won't snap at you," Cosmic said.

"Or glare," Cham said.

Alfred nodded, and though he would usually walk, he ran to the medbay. The three Legionnaires looked back at Brainy.

"So, what will we do in the mean time with Pane?" Cham asked.

"So far, we four are the only ones _physically_ here to stop him," Brainy said. "I've already sent notices to the other Legionnaires, asking them to arrive as soon as possible."

"Let's hope he doesn't surface for a while," Vi said.

"I highly doubt he'll stay unsurfaced for a while," Brainy said.

--

"Well, I got rid of her, just like ya asked," Pane said.

"You want a medal, buddy?" Catgirl asked, her arms crossed.

"Hush kitty-kat," Pane said over his shoulder.

Catgirl hissed.

"Are you positive you've rid of her?" the shadowy figure asked.

Pane looked back at the man and smirked.

"Ya bet I did," Pane said. "She ain't getting up, e'er again."

"You can leave," the man said.

Pane looked surprised, but blew it off.

"Whatever. Call me when ya want me to smash another hero," Pane said, walking to the exit door. "I'll be _shopping_."

Catgirl hissed as he left. Once the door closed, she showed the other members her anger.

"Ouuuhhh!! That idiot! I bet he didn't even get rid of her!" Catgirl growled.

"You're right," the man said.

"Huh?" the member asked.

"I highly doubt he truly got rid of her," the man said. "He probably only weakened her. Now, did he brake only her bones, or did he reach all the way into her spirit."

"Why does that matter?" Rose Thorne asked.

"Because, her soul, and her determination will probably, bring her back as Batgirl," the man said. "We will have to see."

--

An alarm ran through the tower.

"Brainy?" Cosmic asked, looking over at the android at the computer.

"It's Pane. He's at New Gotham's National Bank," Brainy said.

"And we're the only ones who can stop him," Cham said.

They nodded.

"We need to go now," Cosmic said.

"Brainy, are you sure no one is close enough to help us?" Vi asked.

Brainy placed a hand to his chin. His eyes snapped open.

"I do, but you guys might not like it," Brainy said.

"Who?" Vi asked.

"I can't believe it! I thought we would never work with you guys again!" Porcupine Pete said as the nine flew into New Gotham.

_"The Legion of Substitute Heroes. Why them?"_ Vi thought bitterly.

She had nothing against them, but sometimes, they got in the way, and were so annoying.

"So, who are we up against?" Infectious Lass said, managing a sniffle.

"A villain named Pane," Brainy said.

"Pane? Is he to-to-tough?" Chlorophyll Kid asked.

"He nearly got rid of one of our best Legionnaires," Cosmic said.

"He's as strong as Superman," Cham said. "Though, Superman could probably beat him."

"As strong as Superman!?" Color Kid James said.

"That's why we called you guys," Brainy said. "Right now, we nine are the only one's protecting Earth from him."

Stone Boy stayed quiet while the other Substitute Heroes thought of how big the Pane guy must be.

"We're here," Brainy said.

"How can you tell?" Color Kid James asked.

A police hover car flew past them.

"That's how," Brainy said.

They looked to see Pane on the ground. He was outside the bank.

"Where did the whole front wall go?" Cham said.

"He tore it off!" Porcupine Pete said in disbelief.

"Stay sharp. He's not a villain to mess with!" Brainy said.

"Got it!" everyone said, as they flew in.

Pane was smashing polive hover cars aside, making the New Gotham police men jump out of the way. Commissioner Gordon was annoyed. He looked up and saw the Legion of Superheroes.

"Legion of Superheroes?" he said.

Pane looked up and chuckled.

"So. Ya all think I can be taken down so easily?" Pane asked.

He grabbed a hover car and threw it at the nine. They dodged it, but weren't expecting a second one to come their way. Pane smirked as he watched them get hit by it.

"What's wrong? Car not to heavy for ya!" Pane laughed.

Chlorophyll Kid, Cham (as a pterodactyl), and Infectious Lass flew at him, using their powers at him. The others landed at the hover cars that were still there. Gordon looked at Cosmic Boy and Brainiac 5.

"Cosmic Boy, where's Batgirl?" Gordon asked.

"She's... under hospital rest," Cosmic said.

Gordon's eyes widened.

"He was the one who did it," Brainy said.

"So what are we going to do?" Gordon asked.

"Try not to get ourselves killed," Violet said, shrinking.

"Stone Boy, can you move when you're in stone mood?" Brainy asked.

Stone Boy shook his head.

"Then we can't risk it. If we threw you at him, the odds of you getting away from him unhurt are slim," Brainy said.

"Well, while I'm fighting him, throw Stone Boy, and then, we'll run for it!" Porcupine Pete said.

Brainy thought about it, then nodded. Porcupine Pete ran into the fight. He had controlled his spikes, and controlled them at him. Once Pane was concentrated on Pete, Brainy and Cosmic Boy threw Stone Boy at him. It hit Pane, making him fly back, into the bank. Stone Boy fell onto the ground, just outside of the bank. Pete and Infectious Lass grabbed him and retreated back to the cars. Cham, Violet, and Chloropyhll Kid retreated back aswell.

"Do you think that did anything?" Cham asked.

Pane appeared, not a scratch on him. Everyone gasped.

"How is he still up?" Gordon asked.

Pane smirked at them.

"Did ya honstly think dat would stop me?" he asked. "Still, it was fun."

He pounded the ground with his two fists, making the ground shake like an earhtquake. A crack formed in the middle of the road, seperating Pane from the good guys. The crack then opened, but nothing fell in. The pound was powerful, making everyone fall backwards. Everyone looked up to see Pane disappear with bags of money in his arms. Everyone growled as he left.

"I can't believe it. He got away," Gordon said.

"We'll stop him," Cosmic said, standing up.

"How? We don't know where he's going. Plus, we don't know _how_ to stop him!" Violet said, standing up.

Cosmic looked away, trying to think of a plan, but nothing came up. He sighed.

"Head back to the tower," Cosmic said. "We'll think of something then."

Everyone nodded and flew off. Gordon sighed. He had to stop Pane before he destroys his (Gordon's) city.

--

"How can we get rid of Pane? Superman isn't close to help us, and the more we bring in, the harder it will be to stop him," Cham said.

"He has to have a weakness," Violet said.

"What makes you say that?" Cosmic asked.

"Everyone has a weakness," Violet said. "Superman's is kryptonite."

"So, what's his?" Chlorophyll Kid asked.

"Don't know," Brainy said. "Maybe Kari can help us."

"Who?" the Legion of Substitute Heroes asked.

"Batgirl," Cham said.

"We get ot meet Batgirl!!" Chlorophyll Kid, Color Kid James, and Porcupine Pete said.

The four Legionnaires rose an eyebrow.

"Riiighhhttt," Brainy said. "I'll go see how she's going."

"I'll go too," Vi said, following Brainy.

The two walked to the medbay, while the others stayed in the the main lounge.

"Where would Pane go next?" Infectious Lass asked.

"Somewhere where there is money," Cosmic suggested.

"Oh no!!" Violet shrieked.

Her shriek was so loud that everyone could hear it. The seven heroes looked at the entrance and saw Shrinking Violet run into the main lounge. She looked a little pale.

"What's wrong Vi?" Cham asked.

"Kari," she huffed. "Kari... she-she's missing!"

"She's what?!" nearly everyone in the room said. (Stone Boy doesn't talk much)

"She's not in the medbay," Brainy said, running over to COMPUTO.

He replayed the video. It showed her leaving the medbay with the help of Alfred.

"So where's she gone to?" Porcupine Pete asked.

"I bet I know," Cosmic said.

--

"Alfred, can you hand me the wrench?" Kari said.

"Yes miss," he said, handing her the said weapon.

She began tightning the nut. Alfred stood behind her. He was worried.

"Miss, maybe you should have stayed back at the medbay," Alfred said. "You might be hurt."

Kari continued what she was doing.

"I have to do this Alfred," she said, grunting as she tightened the nut even more. "I won't let Pane beat me!"

Alfred still stared at her with worried eyes. She was only using _**one**_ arm. The wrench dropped from her hand as it fell to the ground. She hissed in pain. Alfred was at her side.

"Miss, please stop. It's not good for your health," he said.

Her eyes snapped open as she looked at what she was making. Alfred saw determination in her eyes. She wasn't going to stop, no matter what anyone says.

"I won't stop until I've stopped him," Kari said.

She bent in her seat to pick up a screw driver, but hissed again when pain entered her body. She retracted her hand. Alfred sighed as he picked it up and handed it to her.

"Well, if you absolutely most," he said.

She smiled and took it. Suddenly, the batwave (yes she has one) went off. She looked at it. Cosmic Boy's voice came through.

"Kari! What are you doing out of the medbay?" he asked over the voice transmission.

"Shut it!" she hissed over it. "I'm working on something important."

"You're hurt and you're working on something? You shouldn't be able to move!" Cosmic said.

She rolled her eyes.

"Well I am, and have. Now shush! You're interrupting my work." she said.

"Let us in!" Vi said.

"You're here!?" she growled.

"Yes, now let us in," Violet said.

"No way! Leave, no one can see my project yet!" Kari said.

"Kari, let us-" Kari pressed a button, and ended the transmission.

Back in the Legion tower, no one had really left, they were still at COMPUTO. Violet blinked.

"She hung up on me!" she said, surprised.

"What ever she's doing must be important to her," Chlorophyll Kid said.

"It probably is," Brainy said.

"Miss, was it wise to cut your friends off?" Alfred asked.

Kari didn't answer as she continued working on the machine.

"Almost... finished," she said.

Alfred sighed.

_"Please miss, stop before you hurt yourself,"_ he thought.

--

"Legion of Superheroes!" Gordon said, over the transmission.

Everyone in the room looked at the COMPUTO screen to see Gordon.

"Pane has been spotted in East Gotham, robbing a jewelery store," Gordon said.

Cosmic nodded.

"We're on our way," Cosmic said. "Come on guys."

"There, now just to put it on," Kari said.

"Please Miss, I'm begging you," Alfred said.

Kari gave him that look. He sighed. When she finished placing her project on, Alfred stared at her with a worried look.

"Good luck miss," Alfred siad. "And come back in one piece."

She smirked as she pulled down her mask.

"Don't worry, I will. But I can't say the same thing for Pane," she said, taking off.

"Argh!" Cosmic grunted as he was smacked back by Pane.

He hit a lamp post and fell to the ground. Everyone around him was on the ground aswell. Pane chuckled as he looked at the fallen heroes.

"Ha! No one can stop me now!" Pane said.

"Pane!" Batgirl's voice roared.

He turned with his eyes widened.

"You! But how are you here?!" he demanded.

Batgirl stood on top of a building rooftop, glaring down at him. On her was what looked like armor around her. Her chest and her heads were the only ones not covered by metal. The midnight moon shone on her armor. Pane glared.

"So, ya think ya can stop me again?" Pane said.

"I know I will," she said.

"Come and try," he said, challenging.

She smirked. She aimed her arm at him. She rose her hand, a batarang came in her hand, and with her force, she threw it at him. He brought his arms up, defending himself, but was surprised to learn that the batarang packed more punch then it let on. He looked back up at the rooftop, but was surprised to see that she was gone.

"Behind you, buddy!" she growled.

He turned, but was met with a kick to the face. He flew back, rolling on the ground. The thud he made made everything on the street jump. He sat up and looked at Batgirl. Her suit made her as tall as him. But was she as strong as him?

"I'm surprised you're still alive," Pane said, getting up. "I would have thought you'd be dead by now."

Batgirl got into a stance.

"I'm still here," she said. "But you won't."

Pane smirked as he ran at her. He tried punching her, but she grabbed his fist and threw it back. He stumbled back. He growled at her. So, she had gotten stronger. He got up.

"My my, you've gotten stronger," Pane said, lunging at her.

Batgirl placed her hands up, and the two tumbled and rolled. Cosmic Boy and Porcupine Pete were the first two to regain consiousness.

"Huh?" Pete said. "Where's Pane?"

Batgirl and Pane stopped rolling as Batgirl hit the road on her back. Pane smirked as he punched her in the stomach. She spit out blood, but punched him in the face, getting him off her. She got onto her hands and knees. Pane got up, and quickly kicked her in the stomach, making her fly back and hit a building. She forced herself up, and dodged a punch to the head. She bent down, and swept him quickly. He fell back, and tried kicking her, but she jumped back. She took out another batarang and threw it at him. This one cut his arm. As Pane stood up, Batgirl took out a smoking pellet, and threw it on the ground. Smoke surrounded the two. In Batgirl's mask, her eyes and smoke see through, so she could see through the smoke.

She ran and landed a nice kick in his stomach. She then hid back in the smoke, then jumped back in to hit Pane, but was surprised when he grabbed her left arm and tore the metal piece off of it. Batgirl backed off, her hurt arm retreating to her chest. She growled as she took out another batarang and threw it at him. Pane smirked.

"Hurt?" he asked.

She didn't say anything as she ran and kicked him again. This one made it through. She grabbed his arm and threw him in the air and slammed him on the ground. He landed on his back, but he wasn't about to let her win. He grabbed the nearest lamp post, and swung at her with it. It hit her in the head, making her fall down. Her head throbbed in pain. Cosmic Boy, Chlorophyll Kid, and Porcupine Pete were watching the fight.

"Kari," he whispered. "Chlorophyll Kid, use a plant on him."

"Right sir!" Chlorophyll said.

He threw two seeds out and threw them towards Pane and Batgirl. Pane was about to hit Batgirl, when a plant flower grew into the air, moving Batgirl away from Pane. Pane looked at her and growled. Just then, he heard growling from behind. He turned when he saw another plant flower. It growled at him and attacked him. Batgirl, gaining her consious again, looked down to see the plant and Pane.

"There's no way I'm going to let him go off that easy!" she said.

She jumped down, successfully hiting him on the shoulders. He fell into the ground. She flew to the sky, to get out of the way but Pane grabbed her right leg and tore the metal off of it. She know had one leg armor and one arm armor. He then grabbed her unarmored leg and began crushing it. She snarled at him as she kicked him repeatingly, but it did no good; he only held on more. Tears of pain threated to enter her eyes, but she held them in. In a last minute attempt, she took out a new device, and threw it at Pane. His eyes widened as he felt his body, even from his feet to the tip of his hand, become cold and numb. He was frozen in an ice block, but part of Kari's leg was in his hand. She took out a shuriken, and was able to get her leg out.

"Batgirl! You got rid of him!" Porcupine Pete said from where he was.

She smirked, but something stopped her. She looked at Pane. The ice began to crack, until he was fully out of it. Her eyes widened.

"No," she whispered.

He got out of the ice and out of the hole, and glared at Batgirl.

"You, are, dead!" he snarled.

She took out a batarang, but he grabbed her wrist, and forced it back, making her release the batarang. With his free arm, he began ripping all the protective armor on her, until nothing was left. Batgirl hissed in pain; her wrist about to brake.

"Can't do anythin' now, can ya batsy?" Pane teased, getting in her face.

She growled. With her hurt arm, she took out a shuriken, and stabbed him in the yellow line leading to his fist and to the face. His eyes widened.

"You idiot!" he said.

"I get it now, that yellow thing, it's not a line," Batgirl said. "It's a tube channel, full of power inhancer. That's how you're stronger than us."

The yellow liquid flew from his tube.

"If it flows too quickly, nothing good will come of it!" he said.

Batgirl just smirked as she stared him in the eye. Before more was said, the yellow liquid wasn't just liquid, it contained a gasoline substance in it, and it made a small explosion. The three heroes eyes widened as they looked at the explosion.

"BATGIRL!!" they yelled, running down the small hill to the two.

Pane was laying on the ground, bruised and knocked out. Batgirl looked the same, though her leg was bleeding. Cosmic stopped by her side.

"Kari," he said.

She groaned, then opened her eyes.

"Huh? Where's Pane?" she asked, her voice a whisper.

"He's knocked out," Cosmic said, happy to see Batgirl alive. "Porcupine Pete, call the Science Police. Chloropyll Kid, wake up the other members."

The two nodded and walked off. Cosmic Boy bent down and picked her up. She hissed half way up, but Cosmic Boy still picked her up.

"Where are we going?" she asked.

"The medbay, where you belong," he said, as they flew towards the tower.

She sighed, closing her eyes and laying her head on his shoulder.

"Fine," she whispered, falling asleep.

He looked down at her, then back to the route he was taking.

--

"Miss Kari will be alright, yes?" Alfred asked.

"Don't worry Alfred, she's going to be just fine," Cosmic said.

"I'm surprised she took him on, all by herself," Superman's voice said.

"It wasn't easy, but he's now in prision, where he belongs," Brainy said.

"I hope she wakes up soon," Vi said, sounding like she was next to her.

"Yeah, I really want to speak to her," Color Kid James said. "I'd like to talk to her about her color skeeps. Maybe I can talk her into much more colorful clothing, and-SLAP- OWWW!!"

"Enough, she's in a lot of pain right now," Triplicate Girl's voice said.

Kari's eyes slowly opened.

"Hey, she's waking up!" Phatom Girl's voice said, also sounding close.

Kari's eyes fully opened, and her eyes adjusted to the bright lighting. Once her eyes adjusted, she saw most of the Legionnaires, The Legion of Substitute Heroes, and Alfred.

"Hey guys," she said, sitting up a bit. "What time is it?"

"You fight a guy nearly twice your size and strength, are nearly beaten to a pulp, and that's all you can say?" Violet said.

Kari shrugged. Violet only sighed.

"Miss, are you alright?" Alfred asked.

"Yes, don't worry Alfred," she said. "Now what time is it?"

"One in the afternoon," Brainy replied.

"What?! I've been asleep for that long?!" she asked, bolting up.

Pain ran through her, and it made her wince in pain as she settled back down in bed.

"I'm surprised you took him on, all by yourself," Superman said.

Kari blushed a little, but didn't show it.

"Come on, we should get going. She needs more rest," Saturn Girl said.

"Awh! But I wanted her autograph!" Pete complained.

"Me too!" Color Kid James whined.

"Me three!" Chlorophyll Kid said.

Stone Boy rose his hand.

"Out!" Phantom Girl said.

Everyone walked out, knowing the girls were right. Kari chuckled.

"Hey Brainy, can I talk to you for a minute?" she asked.

Brainy nodded and walked over to her, Cosmic Boy leaving last.

"What is it?" he asked.

"Well... earlier, I kinda went into your project's blueprints," she said.

He rose an eyebrow.

"What's it all for?" she asked.

He sighed.

"Is it some kind of, cloaking device?" Kari asked.

"Close," he said. "It doesn't really cloak you, but allows the user to turn into anything the user wishes."

Kari's eyes widened.

"Like, if you wanted to look... human?" she said the word carefully.

Brainy closed his eyes and nodded.

"Yes," he said.

"Sounds cool enough," she said.

"Yes, but I'm trying to get it, so that no one can see through it," he said.

"That's going to be hard," Kari said.

"But it's not impossible," he reminded.

"Nothing's impossible," she reminded.

He smirked and nodded.

"Well, I hope you finish your project soon, that would be cool to use for undercover business," Kari said, laying back in bed.

He stood up.

"Well, you'll need rest if you want to get back on the field," he said.

"I'll be on it before you know it," she said.

"I'm sure you will," he said, walking out of the medbay.

She smiled, before closing her eyes. She would need rest.

--

"THAT IDIOT!! I KNEW HE NEVER KILLED BATGIRL!!" Catgirl roared.

"Of course he didn't," the man said. "I knew he couldn't. She was going to outsmart him."

"Then why'd you send him out there?" Icy asked.

"To see how strong she is," the man said, connecting his hands as he laied his chin on the back of them. "And now, the game is interesting."

To be continued ...

--

Me: Finished with the fifteenth chapter. This is my longest _yet!_ I hope the fighting scenes were realistic enough. I noticed that in a lot of the fics, the Legion of Substitute Heroes are rarely mentioned. So, I wanted to add them into this. I hope you all liked it. Please continue to read, and please review.


	16. The Question is the Answer

Disclaimer: Me: Hi everyone. Here's Chapter Sixteen. For the beginning of this chapter, I got this idea from Transformers Animated, so I don't _really_ own it. I hope you all like it though.

Title: Bat of the Future

Author: AnimeGirl 144

Chapter 16: The Question is the Answer

--

Kari sighed as she laied her head back against the chair. The Batcave's computer was running some stats. She rubbed her eyes. She'd been up for nine hours straight. Some idiot in the shipping department screwed up some of the orders (100,000 orders to be exact). She had just finished the last order.

"Finished miss?" Alfred asked as he came down the stairs.

She turned and looked at him. She smiled at him.

"Finished the last one," she said.

"Well, I brewed you some tea," Alfred said, offering her the cup on the tray. "It might wake you up."

She smiled.

"Thanks," she said, taking it appricately.

She took a sip of it, when a transmissison message box flashed on the screen. She sighed, closed her eyes, then pressed enter. One of her higher up employeers was on the screen. She didn't bother to try and look untired. She looked at him with heavy eyes.

"Good morning Mr. Powers," she said, taking another sip.

"Good morning Miss Wayne," the man said.

"So what's up?" she asked.

He seemed a little, mad about how she spoke to him. But he hid it quickly.

"It seems someone in our shipping department screwed up-"

"100,000 shipping orders," Kari finished. "I know, and don't worry, I took care of it."

"You have?" he asked.

"Yes," she said. "All last night."

"I'm guessing you are very tired, huh?" Powers said, a half sided smirk on his face.

"You don't know the half of it," Kari said, smiling.

"Well, I'd like to speak with you in person in your... house," Powers said. "I'll be there in one hour."

"Alright, see you there," Kari said.

The transmission ended, and Kari turned off the batcomputer. She got up and walked up the stairs. She closed the grandfather clock, and walked out of her ancestor's office. She walked down the hall and into the kitchen, where Alfred was doing something.

"Ah, miss! Finished with your tea?" he asked.

"Yep. But we need to get back ot the tower," she said. "Powers' wants to meet me, person to person."

"Then we should get going! The place must look like a mess!" Alfred said. "Oh! And what to make?"

Kari sighed as she got behind Alfred and pushed him out of the kitchen.

"Come on you, we need to get going," she said.

"But-"

"It's going to be fine!" she said. "Let's go!"

--

"Okay, the guy is late," Kari said, angrily tapping her foot.

"Maybe he was caught in traffic?" Alfred asked, setting down a plate of rice krispy crips on the counter.

"I highly doubt it," she said.

The two heard the elevator doors open, and Kari gussed it to be Powers. He walked through the door with a sided smirk. There was something about the smirk that made her uneasy. She smiled though.

"Awh, Mister Powers," she said, shaking his hand. "'Bout time you got here. I was wondering if you got lost along the way."

"Yes well, traffic is heavy this time a day," he said.

"May I offer you two some kripsy pieces?" Alfred asked.

"No thanks Alfred," Kari said.

"No thank you... er, Alfred," Powers said.

Alfred placed the plates back on the counter.

"Well, would you like something else sir?" Alfred asked.

"No thank you Alfred, I don't want you to do more work," he said. "Speaking of work, how is the business doing?"

"Very well. Everything is back in order," she said.

"I'm glad to hear that," he said. "I don't want to have to fix anything while I'm in charge."

"Hm? In charge? I'm the one in charge," Kari said.

"I'm afraid not," he said. "You see, I am here to releave you of your duty."

Kari's eyes widened.

"You're doing WHAT!?" she yelled.

"Well, after reading through some things, I found some things that were very interesting," Powers said, his smirk growing.

Kari clenched her fists.

"And what, may I ask, was that?" Kari asked.

"Since you are underage," Powers said, "you can't run the business."

"But this is _my_ family's business! I have every right to run it!" Kari said.

"True, but since you aren't an adult, and no will was found, you have no rights over this business," he said. "That is, until you either find the will, or till you turn to an adult."

She growled.

"Then how come Alfred can't run it?!" she growled.

She wasn't going to lose her business to some guy who thought he could waltz right in here and just take it away.

"He isn't intitled to run the business I'm afraid," Powers said. "_I _am the only one who is."

Kari growled.

"There is a press confrence down below. Every news station is here, and we will be telling them how you are passing the torch, to me," Powers said.

Kari had to hold back to urge to rip his head off. Alfred could tell, and he was ready to hold her back if she tried to jump at him.

"But there's more, right?" Kari questioned.

He smirked.

"You are a smart little girl," he said, recieving a dark growl from Kari. "I am afraid that until you can take rightful possesion off this company, you will need to stay _away _from here."

"You mean I can't even live in my own _home_?" she asked.

He smirked.

"I'm afraid so," Powers said.

"But where will the Miss go?" Alfred asked.

"I'm afraid I can't answer that," he said.

Kari growled at him as he turned on his heel and walked out of the room.

"They will be expecting you in five minutes," he said. "Don't keep them waiting."

She growled as he walked into the elevator. Once the doors were closed, she undid her fists. They were pale from the pressure. Alfred sighed as he sat down.

"That will, where did that will go?" he asked.

"I don't care. I just want to wipe the smile off of his face," Kari growled.

"But miss, I know your parents wrote a will, leaving the business in _your_ name and your name alone," he said. "But I can't remember where they hid it."

Kari shook her head, then sighed.

"Doesn't matter now," she said. "We better get going, they're waiting for us."

Alfred nodded, got up, and followed her to the elevators.

--

At the Legion tour, Phantom Girl was lazily flipping through the channels, when one channel caught her atttention. She went back to it and turned up the volume. A blond news lady was standing infront of a poteum, infront of a building that she didn't recognize.

"_**Judy Parker here, live at Wayne's Enterprise,**_" the news lady said.

"Wayne's Enterprise? Isn't that Kari's business?" Phantom Girl said to herself. "Hey guys, come check this out!"

The core Legionnaires (not going to even _try_ to write them) flew over to her and looked at her.

"What's wrong Phantom Girl?" Saturn Girl asked.

"Look at this, it has something to do with Kari's business," she said.

"Ooo! Turn it up!" Triplicate Girl said, taking her seat. "I think something big is happening!"

Everyone sat down as Phantom Girl turned up the tv. Judy Parker was still there.

"_**And here comes Mr. A. Powers. For many who don't know, Mr. Powers is top CEO of the company. Let's listen in to see what he has to say,**_" Judy said, turning her attention to the man.

"Something isn't right about this man," Superman said.

"_**Ladies and gentlemen of the press. I am here to tell you, that Miss Wayne is passing the business over, to me,**_" he said.

This surprised the Legionnaires.

"She's doing **what**!?" Phantom Girl screeched.

The press was also in a commotion about the sudden saying.

"_**Sir! Sir!**_" many press people yelled.

At the press confrence, Powers looked behind him to see Kari and Alfred. Kari looked like a lion on the hunt.

"Yes, you over there," Powers said, pointing to a random reporter.

"Sir, I thought that Miss Wayne was in full cousidy of the whole company?" the reporter asked.

"Well she was, but seeing as she is a minor, and that there is no will, I am the only one _legal _enough to take control of the company," Powers said.

Kari growled from the back.

"Now ladies and gentlemen, Miss Kari Wayne will address," Powers said, stepping down.

Kari glared at him as she walked up to the microphones.

"Ladies and gentlemen, I would like to put on the record the I am _forced_ to give Powers the company," she said.

Powers came up quickly. The Legionnaires were surprised.

"She's loosing her business to _him_?" Bouncing Boy asked.

"Now, now ladies and gentlemen. I am not taking it away from her forever. Just until she is old enough to run it, or until her parents will comes up," Powers said.

Kari glared at him.

"Sir! Sir!" Judy called.

"Yes, ma'am?" he asked.

"Sir, even though she is underaged and no will has been presented, she has been doing a fantastic job!" Judy said. "Why are you taking it away from her?"

"Exactly!" Phantom Girl said.

"Shush!" the others said.

"With all do respect to you and Kari," he said. "Even though she is capable of running the business, by law she cannot run it until she turns 18."

"But what if the will is found? Will she take control of the company again?" another reporter questioned.

Powers looked a little worried, but nodded.

"Yes, she will," he said. "But only, if she finds the will. No futher questions."

He walked off. Everyone then tried talking to Kari, but she replyed: "No further questions." She walked off from the podium and back into the building.

"Argh! I hate that Powers!" Kari screeched as she slammed a baggage shut.

Alfred winced at the slam as his baggage laied by his feet. They didn't need to bring a lot of clothing cause they already had extras at the Manor. Kari was just packing up anything to do with Batgirl. Even though Powers said he wouldn't come here to touch anything, Kari didn't believe him. She just finished placing her last Batgirl suit in a baggage. She sighed, and sat on her bed. Alfred walked over to her and placed a hand on her shoulder.

"I am sorry miss," he said. "Truly, I am. If only I knew where the will was."

Kari gave him a small smile.

"It's okay Alfred, we'll find it eventually," she said. "I just want to leave before we run into that psycho."

Alfred nodded, and picked up his bag, while she picked up her's. Everything that had anything to do with her seperate life was nonexistent in the whole building. Without saying a word to anyone, she and Alfred walked out of the building, pass the press (who were _still_ there), and to the hover car. They flew to the Manor.

--

Kari sighed as she landed the Batplane near the Tower. She got out and walked into the tower. When she entered the lounge, she was surprised to be nearly jumped on by the three girls, now five.

"Oh Kari! Are you okay?" the three forms of Triplicate Girl asked.

Kari blinked. She was confused.

"I'm fine. Why do you ask?" she asked.

"Don't lie!" Phantom Girl said.

"We saw you on the news," Saturn Girl said.

"Oh," Kari said, her mood faltering. "You saw?"

The girls nodded.

"How could they let someone like him take control of _your_ business?" Bouncing Boy asked, once the girls gave Kari some breathing room.

Kari fumed at the thought of Powers.

"He bribed them, that's how he got the position," Kari said bitterly.

"Bribed?" Timber Wolf asked.

"It means, he gave whoever up there a large amount of money to get into that position," Kari said. "But trust me, when I get my hands on them, they won't be so well."

Lightning Lad sweat-dropped.

"You're not suppose to kill people, Kari," Lightning Lad said.

"I never said I was going to kill anybody," Kari said. "Just let them end up in the hospital."

Superman and Lightning Lad smiled unsurely.

"Er... right," they said.

"It doesn't make sense," Brainy said.

Everyone looked up at him.

"What doesn't?" Bouncing Boy asked.

"If he wanted Kari's position for awhile, then why now. Why not earlier?" Brainy questioned.

"Maybe he was busy doing other things?" Bouncing Boy said.

"True, he was busy, busy trying to get Kari out of her position," Brainy said. "He seems to me like he knew for a long time."

Kari thought about it.

"Maybe he never really wanted my job, until someone told him," Kari said.

"What do you mean?" Superman asked.

"If someone told him to, maybe he would do it," Kari said.

"Whatever the reason, we'll look into why he's done it," Brainy said.

Kari smiled, and nodded, glad to have her friends by her side.

"Thanks," she said,

Her batcom just went off. She looked at it, and sighed.

"I better get back to the Manor, Alfred's going to need help," she said.

"Want us to help?" Superman asked.

She looked at them, then nodded.

"Sure, I can use four people to help me," Kari said.

--

"Thank you for the help!" Alfred said.

Superman, Lightning Lad, Saturn Girl, and Phantom Girl had come over with Kari to help Alfred. Part of the house was still dirty and dusty, so they were a lot of help to those who couldn't fly (or go through walls). Kari smiled as she cleaned the vase that laied on the counter.

"It was no problem Alfred," Phantom Girl said. "Plus, I've wanted to see the Manor. Oh! After this, can I see the batcave?"

Kari smirked.

"Sure, I'll let you," Kari said.

Phantom Girl did backflips in the air.

"If you wish, you can go down there now and see it. The Manor is almost finished with the cleaning," Alferd said.

"Really?" she asked.

Alfred nodded.

"ALRIGHT!!" Phantom Girl said, hugging Alfred. "You're totally aweome!"

"If you want, you can all go and see it," Alfred said. "We'll be on brake."

The others nodded, and landed on the ground. They followed Kari into the office room, then to the clock. She opened it, and walked down the steps. The light came on, allowing them to see into the cave. They walked down to the last platform, and Phantom Girl looked around.

"Ooo! Look at this!" she said, flying over to the giant coin on the wall.

From the coin she flew to the costumes, then to the Hall of Weapons.

"Whoa," she said. "Look at all of this!"

Phantom Girl was examining a weapon, and was about to touch it.

"Don't touch," Kari said.

Phantom Girl jumped back and looked at the entrance to see Kari.

"I-I wasn't going to touch it," Phantom Girl said, her hands behind her back.

Kari rose an eyebrow. Phantom Girl sighed and followed Kari out. They were out of the weapons area, when the batwave went off. Kari ran over to it and typed on it. Her eyes widened. She turned and looked at the others over her shoulder.

"Guys, we need to get back to the tower," Kari said.

"Why?" Lightning Lad asked.

"Someone sent a distress call from the tower," Kari said. "You guys head over, I'll be there soon."

The four nodded and took off. Kari ran to the extra closet in the batcave and quickly changed. She ran out, got on the bat-hovercycle, and flew towards the tower. Alfred walked down the stairs to find the batcave empty.

"Kari? Legion?" he asked. "Anybody?"

--

Batgirl landed next to the tower, and quickly ran into the dark building. All the lights were off, which was weird, but the place was definatly dark to the point where she couldn't see her own hands. This was not a problem. She tapped her side of the mask and her eyes lit up. She could now see the tower as if the lights were on. She ran down the halls and came into the lounge, where she found the other four. They looked at her, though it was kind of hard to see her since her outfit matched with the background. The only thing that gave her off was her glowing eyes.

"Where is everyone? Why are the lights out?" she asked.

"Don't know," Superman said. "COMPUTO isn't turning on, and I don't know how to turn it on."

"Let me try," she said.

She walked to the keyboard and began typing on it. Nothing was happening.

"Oh come on!" she said.

"Nothing?" Phantom Girl asked.

"Nothing," Batgirl said, stepping back from the keyboard. "Where's Brainy, he'll get this working."

"No one 'cept us are here in the tower," Lightning Lad said.

"We've looked everywhere," Saturn Girl said.

"Where did they all go?" she wondered.

"I can shed some light on that riddle, miss," a voice suddenly said behind her.

They turned and saw a man on COMPUTO's screen, which now gave off light for them. Batgirl turned off her goggle lights. They looked at the man with long black hair with a green mask over his eyes. He was smugly smiling at them.

"Who are you?" Superman asked.

"My name, is the Question," the man said.

"No, seriously, who are you?" Phantom Girl asked.

"Like I have said, my name is the Question," the man said.

"No, what is-" Lightning Lad was cut off.

"So, you're name is the Question, right?" Batgirl asked.

"You are correct, Miss Batgirl," the Question said.

"What a lame name," Lightning Lad said.

"Hush, lightning bolt," Batgirl hissed.

Lightning Lad sent her a glare.

"Were you the one who did this, Question?" Superman asked.

"You are correct, Man of Steel," Question said. "You see, I am the one who took your commrades."

"What for?" Batgirl growled.

"Oh now, now, I can't let that information slip. If you wish to know, then play my game," Question said.

"I _don't_ play games," Batgirl said, her eyes slitting.

"I think this game, you will," he said.

She sighed.

"Fine, what's the game?" she asked.

"It's a riddle game," the Question said. "Here's the first riddle:

_Four letters is the clue:_

_ABCD_

_No evens,_

_no Commons._

_My name starts with #1,_

_yet I housed zeroes._

_What am I?_"

The Question smirked.

"Tah tah," he said, before the screen went blank.

Batgirl looked at the ground in thought. The others behind her were throwing ideas around.

"ABCD? What's that mean?"

"And common?"

"What starts with #1?"

"Batgirl, do you know the answers?" Superman asked.

Batgirl, with her eyes glowing again, looked at her friends.

"Sort of," she said. "You have to go through it line by line."

"So, what's first?" Saturn Girl asked.

"Four letters: ABCD," Batgirl said. "Then the next line says, no evens."

"So what's that mean?" Lightning Lad asked.

"In the alphabet, the letters have numbers aswell," Batgirl said. "A-1, B-2, C-3, D-4."

"So we eliminate B and D," Superman said.

Batgirl nodded.

"What's next?" Phantom Girl asked.

"No commons," Batgirl said.

"And that means?" Lightning Lad asked.

"The C, we now eliminate the C," she said.

"Why?" Superman asked.

"He said no commons, but he was emphasizing the 'c' in common," she explained.

"So that leaves A," Saturn Girl said.

"But there are hundreds off places that starts with A!" Phantom Girl said.

"But what building houses zeroes?" Lightning Lad asked.

"Not houses, but housed," Batgirl corrected.

"Housed?" Superman said.

Batgirl nodded. "Yes." She then suddenly smirked. "And I think I know where the place is."

"Where?" Phantom Girl asked.

"Are you serious?!" Phantom Girl said as the five stood outside the gates of a certain building.

Storm clouds roamed over the building. Batgirl nodded.

"Yep, the answer to the first riddle," Batgirl said, "is the Arkham Asylum."

Everyone looked at the dusty building that was now rotting. The front of the area looked like a cemetary. The garden was dead, and the flowers were wilted.

"Does anyone live here anymore?" Superman asked.

"Didn't you listen to the riddle?" Batgirl asked. "No one lives here anymore, it's been abandon since 2114. So let's get moving, we need to stop the Question."

The four followed Batgirl down the path to Arkham. They tried opening the door, but they were tightly shut.

"Whoever was in here last wanted to make sure no one got back in again," Phantom Girl said.

Batgirl took out a small item in her pouch. She pressed something on it, then pointed it at the door and cut through the seam in the middle of the doors. It was a laser torch.

"Batgirl, if you want me to cut through the doors, I can do it," Superman said.

"No thanks Superman, I don't want you to have all the fun!" Batgirl said, cutting around the whole doors now.

"This is going to take forever Batgirl," Lightning Lad said. "Just let one of us do it."

"No way light bulb," Batgirl said, getting up and stepping back.

Lightning Lad glared at her.

"So now what Batkid?" Lightning Lad said. "You cut through the doors, but we're not in yet."

"You're so impatient," Batgirl said, bringing up her leg and kicking the double doors.

The two doors fell down inwardly, making dust go into the air. Batgirl smirked. The others just stared in amazement.

"Well, come on, I don't have all day," Batgirl said, "we have to find another riddle."

"How do you know there's another riddle?" Superman asked.

"He calls this a game, why would he end it now?" she asked.

"You've got a point," Phantom Girl said.

"Where would we start to look?" Saturn Girl asked.

"I wouldn't know," Batgirl said, "but we'll just have to look everywhere."

They walked around the first floor, when Lightning Lad accidentally stepped on a tile floor, which sunk in just a bit. He looked down at it.

"Oops," he said.

Before the others could say something to him, a door on a wall opened up. Things walked out of the opening. They were robots, that came out into the light. There were at least 25. Batgirl and the others got into a stance.

"What are those?" Saturn Girl asked.

"They're robots," Batgirl said.

"But they look like-"

"Batman's original villains," Batgirl said, finishing Superman's sentence.

"Why are they here?" Phantom Girl asked.

"Probably self-defense," Batgirl said, "here to take care of Arkham."

"Well then, lets get rid of them!" Lightning Lad said, throwing a lightning bolt at them.

The one he hit short circatided and fell back. Phantom Girl flew through some of them and grabbed their wires, pulling them out of the robots bodies. The bodies short circatited and fell to the ground. Saturn Girl used her brain waves shot at some of the other robots, and made them fall back, off-line. Superman flew to the air and used his laser eyes on them, cutting off their heads. Batgirl jumped in the air and threw batarangs at them, short circating the robots. All the robots laied on the ground.

"Well that was easy," Phantom Girl said.

"They were rusting for so long," Batgirl said. "I really wanted some competition."

"Well done Legion of Superheroes," the Question's voice said.

Everyone looked at the tv in the wall closes to them. The Question was on the tv. They walked over to it, not noticing a figure behind them, walking up to them.

"What's the next riddle, Question?" Batgirl asked.

"Ah, quick to the point, batsy?" Question questioned.

Batgirl slitted her eyes at him.

"The riddle, Question," she demanded darkly.

"Alright, alright:

_A building,so tall_

_a business so old._

_The hero dectective's work_

_when he is normal._

_What am I?_

Good luck," the Question said with a smirk.

The tv screen shut off, leaving the Legion to ponder the answer to the riddle.

"A building so tall, a business so old," Saturn Girl recited.

"The hero detectives work when he is normal," Lightning Lad recited.

"What am I?" Superman recited.

"Wayne's Enterprise," Batgirl said.

"What?" Saturn Girl asked.

"Think about it, the Wayne's Enterprise is tall, and the business is old. Plus, Batman was the hero dectective, and the Wayne's Enterprise is where he worked when he was normal. So, it's the Wayne's Enterprise building we go to," she said.

"Hey," Superman said, looking around. "Where's Phantom Girl?"

"Huh? What do you mean?" Saturn Girl said.

Everyone looked around.

"She was here with us a little while ago," Lightning Lad said.

"Something tells me the Question did it," Batgirl said.

"And what's your proof of that?" Lightning Lad asked.

"I don't have any, but what's your answer for her disappearence?" Batgirl questioned.

Lightning Lad kept his mouth shut. He really didn't have a good answer for Phantom Girl's disappearence, so he wasn't going to argue with her. Superman and Saturn Girl looked at Batgirl.

"So, we're going to Wayne's Enterprise?" Superman asked.

Batgirl looked at him and nodded. She suddenly smirked, which worried the other three.

Mr. Powers sat in his office, which was on the 30th floor of the Wayne's Enterprise building. He sat back with his arms behind his head. He picked up his feet and laied them on the desk infront of them. He closed his eyes and leaned back.

"Ah, this is the life," he said.

"Comfortable?" Batgirl said darkly.

Powers jumped out of his seat and hid under the desk. He popped his head up from behind the desk and glared at the four Legionnaires. Batgirl was standing infront of the group, glaring at him with her cape over her whole body.

"Legion of Superheroes? What are you doing in here? I've done nothing wrong!" Powers said, getting up.

"We're not here for you Powers," Batgirl said, her voice as cold as death. "Not yet atleast."

"They're here for me," the Question said.

Everyone in the room turned and saw on the computer screen the Question.

"Who-who is that?" Powers asked as he jumped back.

The Legionnaires moved towards the computer.

"Talk Question," Batgirl said.

"Always to the point," the Question said. "It's a wonder how you make any friends."

Batgirl growled in annoyence.

"Alright, alright, no need to be angry batsy," the Question said. "I'll give you the next riddle:

_Full of art,_

_Full of knowledge._

_I hold both._

_But what knight protects me?_

_What am I?_

Bye bye," Question said.

The screen shut off, leaving a blank screen. Powers blinked.

"What on Earth is he talking about?" Powers demanded.

"Full of art, full of knowledge," Lightning Lad said.

"I hold both, but what knight protects me?" Superman recited.

"What am I?" Batgirl said.

"What kinda night does he mean?" Lightning Lad asked. "Does he mean night, as in time, or knight as in warrior times?"

"Definatly the other knight," Batgirl said. "Now full of art, and knowledge..."

"It's definatly a museum," Superman imputed. "Muesums have art and knowledge."

"So, if it's a muesum, and a knight protects it," Lightning Lad began.

"Then it's the Batman Muesum," Batgirl finished. "Batman was considered the Dark Knight, so it's only a wonder the knight part gave it off."

The others nodded.

"Hey, where's Saturn Girl?" Lightning Lad asked, looking around quickly.

The other two looked around aswell.

"Are you serious?" Superman said.

"She was caught too," Batgirl said. "No doubt our captured friends are with him. We need to find him, and bring him down."

The other two nodded, before running out of the room and towards their new destination. Powers watched them leave, then sighed as he sat back in his chair.

"I'm getting too old for surprises," he said, closing his eyes and sighing.

The group flew in the air towards the museum. Batgirl was on her hover-batcycle.

"How are we going to search through the museum with it open?" Superman asked.

"We'll have to work fast," Batgirl said. "Just try not to draw attention, and we should be good."

The two nodded as they landed at the muesum. They walked in to see the place packed.

_"This is going to be harder then I thought,"_ Batgirl thought.

"Split up and seach the place," Batgirl said.

The two nodded, and quickly walked away. Batgirl walked into the Hall of Villains. The best place to look for a villain, is with other villains, right? She looked up and down the areas, only to see the Riddler's hologram. She rose an eyebrow.

"The Riddler, and the Question," she said. "So maybe..."

She moved around the hologram and saw a small dvd-like thing on the ground. The Questions face showed up on it.

"Congradulations, dectective, you've found me," he said.

"Superman, Lightning Lad," Batgirl said on her Batcom, "I found him. In the Hall of Villains."

"I'm on my way," Superman said.

"I'll be there shortly," Lightning Lad said.

Batgirl looked down at the screen.

"Okay Question, when my friends get here, you're going to talk," Batgirl said darkly.

"I'm so scared," he said, making fun of her.

Batgirl growled at him.

"Batgirl," Superman said.

Batgirl looked up as Superman landed.

"Where's Lightning Lad?" Batgirl asked.

Superman shook his head. Batgirl sighed, then glared at the Question. He had to have taken them, all of them.

"Talk, _now!_" she demanded.

"Alright, I'll give you the next riddle. I must say though, you are getting close to figuring this game all out:

_Cold as space,_

_Lifeless as the stars._

_Once a place for heroes,_

_now only houses time._

_What am I?_" The Question asked, as the screen shut off.

"Cold as space? What can be colder than space?" Superman asked.

"Nothing, cause it's cold _as_ space, and lifeless _as_ the stars," Batgirl explained.

"But what's like that?" Superman asked.

"Once a place for heroes, now only houses time," Batgirl recited.

Batgirl took out her batcom and began pressing the screen.

"What are you doing?" he asked.

"Looking up something," she said.

"What are you looking up?" he asked, looking over her shoulder.

"If I'm correct, the Watchtower," Batgirl said.

"What's that?" he asked.

"The Watchtower was made when the Justice League formed. It was a floating space ship in the stars. After being up so long, it crashed to Earth," Batgirl said.

(Me: I'm not using the Justice League or the Justice League Unlimited reason for the fall of the Watchtower. I like mine better! ;P)

"Who were the Justice League?" Superman asked.

"Youll find out later in life," Batgirl said. "Aha! That's where you've been hiding! Come on, we don't have much time to waste!"

Superman followed Batgirl out of the museum, then through the sky. They flew for some time, before they landed in a small deserted wilderness. She landed her hover-batcycle and got off. Superman landed next to her and stared at the crashed Watchtower. It was rusted, old, and had vines growing all around it. Batgirl walked ahead of him, before realizing he wasn't following. She sighed and quickly undid the door with her picklock key. She turned and looked at him when she walked inside.

"Get over here Superman!" she called.

"Oh! Sorry!" he said, flying over to her and landing next to her.

She rolled her eyes under her mask and simply walked away. He followed her, looking at all the rust.

"Is this all destroyed?" he asked.

"I think so. Time isn't kind to everything on this planet," Batgirl said, looking around for anything that might be the Question.

Something in the wall opened up, and more things walked out. They turned and looked at the machines coming out.

"Are those...?" Superman asked.

"Yeah, that's the Justice League," Batgirl said. "Double-sized!"

She was right. The machines were of the original seven Justice League members, but they were twice the sizes they were normally. Not only that, but their numbers were pretty high. Batgirl and Superman got into a fighting stance, before seeing his own machine.

"I'm one of the Justice League members?" he asked.

"You were the leader," she said.

"There's even Batman in here!" Superman said in awe.

"Shut up and hit them! They're probably weak from being in here for so long!" Batgirl said, getting annoyed with his reactions.

She jumped and threw two batarangs at two machines. The batarangs cut off the heads, making sparks come from the now disembodied heads.

"Gotcha!" she said.

Two metallic hands grabbed her and held her in place as she was lifted from the ground. She turned to see what thing was holding her.

_"Oh joy,"_ she thought, upon seeing the Superman robot.

"Superman!" she shouted.

Superman punched back a Flash robot when he turned and saw Batgirl struggling in the grips of his robot clone. Superman, from where he was, used his laser vision on his robot clone, slicing off it's haed, then it's wrists. The hands undid themselves, and she fell towards the ground. Superman caught her in his arms. He smirked at her, while she looked up at him.

"Need a lift?" he joked.

"My hero," she teased back. "Now let me down!"

Superman laughed.

"Afraid not," he said.

She smirked up at him as she grabbed her grappling gun and shot it at a close wall. She swung out of Superman's hold and landed on a robots shoulder. She took out a few shurikens and hit the robot. She jumped back and landed on another robot. In a matter of minutes, robots laied on the ground. Superman and Batgirl stood in the middle of the robots.

"Very good Legionnaires," the Questions voice said.

The two turned to see the Question on a busted up tv screen. The two walked over to him.

"So, I am guessing a riddle is your reward," the Question said. "And this is the last riddle, which shall lead you to me:

_You've been here before,_

_You've known of this place for years._

_Here it stands timeless,_

_Here is where I am._

_Where am I?_

"Bye, bye," the Question said, the screen turning off.

"Been there before? What could that mean Super-" she turned but didn't see who she wanted to see, "man?"

No one was here. She was all alone. Batgirl sighed.

"Great," she said. "They even got _him_! Guess I'll just figure out the riddle on my own."

She closed her eyes. The riddle replayed in her mind.

_"You've been here before, You've known of this place for years. Here it stands timeless, Here is where I am. Where am I? Known of a place that I've been here before. Time stands here. Time. And I know this place,"_ she thought. _"Wait! Been here before, what if I've been here before, __**today!**__"_

Her eyes opened up.

"I know where he is," she said to herself, running out of the Watchtower.

Clouds now covered the night sky, but the rain clouds lingered over the Arkham building. Batgirl got off her hover-batcycle, placing her helmet on her cycle. She walked over to the broken down doors. Her eyes scanned the area. She had missed something the last time she was here.

"Come out Question. I know you're here," she said darkly.

Silence entered the room. She walked over to a wall, and began feeling for something. She found what she'd been looking for. She pressed it, and a door opened up sideways. Stairs lead down to a basement that no one really knew about. She walked down the stairs and entered the lighted room. On each side of the walls were the other Legionnaires in a tube with wires attached to their heads. Batgirl smirked, because she was right, and Lightning Lad was wrong. She walked down the hall.

"Come out Question. I know you're here," she said.

The Question chuckled as he turned his corner and looked at the girl.

"You are very smart," he said.

"But you're not. I already know you're game," she said darkly.

"Oh? And what is my game?" he asked.

"I've noticed, as I walked down here, Brainy was not hooked up like my friends here," Batgirl said. "You're a man of knowledge. You want to know everything, and Brainy knows almost everything. You were after him. But you captured my friends aswell, just to gain _their_ knowledge."

The Question chuckled, telling Batgirl that she was correct.

"Where is he?" she growled.

The Question chuckled more.

"Are you more worried about your friend than for your life?" he asked.

She nodded. He chuckled more.

"What a stupid girl," he said. "In this world, you must always worry about yourself, no one else."

"That's stupid," she said. "Now give me my friends back, or you'll be sorry."

"I may want to know everything ma'am, but that doesn't mean I am not a good fighter," the Question said.

"Oh good, I actually thought that'd I'd have to go easy on you," she said. "But with this new information, I can now, kick your butt."

"I dare you to try," the Question said, his voice changing.

Batgirl didn't move. She wasn't stupid. The others had to make the first move, she would then dodge and attack, knowing their attacks. This was also the case. The Question, after sensing that she wasn't going to attack first, did so for her. He took out three small little weapons and threw them at her. She dodged the first two, and grabbed the third one, throwing it back at the Question. He dodged it, and smirked. Batgirl glared at him. Something wasn't right.

"I think we still have room for more fighters," the Question said. "Meet _my_ friends."

Out of the wall came wierd ghost-like creatures. They came down and swiped at her. She ducked from them, trying to not get hurt by them. She ducked down, and tried kicking one of them, but her foot went straight through it.

_"Are you serious?"_ she thought.

She rolled back, and immediatly ran at the Question. Maybe the things wouldn't attack her if she charged at him. Question was confused on her idea, but then it became clear when she was running towards him at full force. He turned and ran. He did not want to get hit by his ghost things. They ran into another room, where Batgirl saw Brainy hooked up to some wires in a chair. Batgirl stopped suddenly, making the Question wonder what she was up to. The ghosts also stalled. Batgirl took out some shurikens, and threw them towards Brainy.

_"Is she nuts? She's about to hit her friend. Doesn't she know that?"_ he thought. _"Unless..."_

His eyes widened as he gasped. He knew what she was doing.

"You idiots, stop those shurikens, now!!" Question shouted.

The ghost things tried ot stop the shurikens, but was too late, for the shurikens cut through the wires, and implanted themselves in the wall behind Brainy. Batgirl smirked, as she once again ducked, missing a hit from the ghosts. Question growled, as he removed his ghosts. This made Batgirl smirk. He was stupid enough to let his guard down.

"I don't like it when the players mess with my game," he said hissfully.

"I don't like it when people like you mess with me," she replied with a cold tone.

He grabbed the pole he had been holding all this time and ran at Batgirl. She dodged his hit to the head. She dodged him once again, but was hit in the shoulder. She backd up, but didn't allow this to bother her. She backed up some more, then ran at him full speed. She jumped in the air, doing a front flip, and finishing up with a heel kick to the shoulder, hitting one of the major vains. This brought extreme pain to him. She landed back on her feet, and did a swift sweep to his feet. He fell back. She stepped on his wrist, forcing him to release the pole from his hands. She then kicked the pole away, it making a small _"clink"_ as it hit the wall.

Question looked up at her with a glare. She was still smirking towards him. He grabbed her foot, but she knew what he was trying to do, so she quickly jumped back before he could do any harm to her. He sat up, and headed for his pole. Just as he was about to grab it, a weird foam-like substance surrounded the entire pole, stopping him from grabbing it. He growled back, and looked at Batgirl, who was on her knees holding the goo-gun steadily in her hands, before putting it back in her cape. She was smirking. He got onto his feet, and ran at her. Instead of doing much, she only held out her fist, and he ran right into her fist. He fell backwards with a grunt.

"Give it up Question," she said. "You were all work and no play, so you're not as physically strong as I am."

He sat up, still grunting. Unfortuantally, he tried to hit her again, but she blocked him and hit him on the head again, making him fall back down. She sighed, and did a swift kick to the head, forcing him to fall to the side, knocking him unconsious. She shook her head, as she bent down and cuffed him up with her bat-cuffs. She stood up and looked at the form of the unconsious Question.

"Had fun watching the show?" she asked, closing her eyes as a smirk appeared on her face.

Brainy stood up from his chair, his eyes opening up.

"Actually no, I was still resting the whole time," he said. "By the way, you're little "all work and no play" was terrible."

"You would know all about bad puns, right?" she said. "I saw the video you had Dream Girl dream up, and I must say, you're joke was terrible, the _first _time."

Brainy's eyebrows twitched, annoyed with her joke.

"Let's just help our friends, okay?" he said.

"Whatever genius," she said, prompting Question up against the wall.

She walked over to a wall that seemed to have a panel on it She began typing on it, but the panel rejected her. She growled, but looked at Brainy and nodded her head towards the panel. He walked over to it and hooked up to it, overriding the system, making the containers open up. The cords were removed from their heads, but none of them woke up. Batgirl sighed and looked over at Brainy.

"Looks like we've got a lot of heavy lifting to do," she said.

He nodded.

"Yes, but we should first call for the police, so Question can be taken away," Brainy said.

Batgirl was already holding her batcom in her hand.

"Already on that," Batgirl said.

--

Minutes later, two New Gotham Police hover-cars and the Science Police hover-truck were outside of Arkham. The Question, who was now awake, was being escorted to the Science Police truck. The Legionnaires were awake, and were making sure that the Question was being placed in the truck. Batgirl had his pole in her posession. The Question sat down in the truck and looked at the Legionnaires.

"I saw police men, before you lock me up, I must say something to the bat," the Question said, looking directly at Batgirl. "But I must speak to her privatly."

She rose an eyebrow at him, but he didn't see it, so she just slitted her eyes.

"What do you want Question?" she questioned.

"Lean closer my dear," he said.

She rolled her eyes as she got in the truck. She leaned in closer to him.

"So what do you want?" she asked.

"I believe that you have the right to know something about my boss," he said, his eyes trying to pierce through her mask.

His voice lowered so barely anyone could hear him 'cept Batgirl.

"He was the one, who killed your... parents," he said, pulling back as he smirked.

Behind her mask, her eyes were shaking. She pulled back slowly, trying to hid her terror. She got up and walked out of the truck and down to the other Legionnaires. The Science Police slammed the door shut. They took off, leaving the one police car behind. It was Gordon's car. He walked over to the Legionnaires. Batgirl seemed a bit down.

"What did he tell you Batgirl?" he asked.

She looked at him, not looking any different. She didn't even look like she was fazed.

"Nothing. He was just messing with me," she said. "It was annoying."

Gordon nodded. Still, he had this feeling that she was lying, but he had to trust her.

"If you're sure," he said, going back to his car and taking off.

Batgirl watched them leave, and her shoulders slumped.

"Batgirl?" Violet asked, placing a hand on her friend's soulder. "Are you okay?"

Batgirl looked over at her friend and nodded.

"Yeah, I'm fine," she said. "I'm just going to put this in the batcave."

She walked off towards her hover-batcycle.

"I'll see you guys back at the tower," she said, placing on her helmet.

She got on and drove out of sight quickly. The pole was placed to the side of her. She forced back the tears under her mask as she raced off back to the batcave. The other Legionnaires were still where she left them. Some of them went else where, to see if anyone needed help since they had been in hibernation. Violet blinked.

"What did he say to her?" she asked.

"He knew," Superman said. "He knew she was Kari."

"How could you tell?" Lightning Lad asked.

"He told her," Superman said. "That his boss was the one who shot her parents."

Everyone around looked at him wide-eyed.

"Oh no," Saturn Girl said.

The armored truck that was transporting the Question was being followed by a piece of clay. Suddenly, clay began to encover the truck. The drivers freaked out when they saw the red eyes staring at them. Question looked at the clay from the small open window and smirked. The clay seemed through and broke the door open. The Question stood up with a smirk. A small piece of clay moved to the cuffs and unlocked it, allowing him free. Question looked at his wrists and smirked.

"I was wandering when you were coming for me," he said.

The clay brought back. The truck landed on the ground. When they went to the back to see where Question was, he wasn't there. He was gone. He and Clayface appeared back in the dark room. The Question was smiling evilly.

"She knows," he said.

The man smirked.

"Good," he said. "The game has been brought to a new level."

He was smirking more.

"And I hope she's ready for it," he said.

To be continued ...

--

Me: Finished with the sixteenth chapter. Sorry if the riddles were bad, I'm not very good at them. (I couldn't even do one to save my life! I'm so sad!) Anywho, I think the Question is a mixture of the Riddler and the Joker. But this isn't over yet! Just three more chapters to go! I hope you all liked it. Please continue to read, and please review.


	17. 5 5 Trouble

Disclaimer: Me: Hi everyone. Here's Chapter Seventeen. I hope you all like it.

Title: Bat of the Future

Author: AnimeGirl 144

Chapter 17: 5+5 Trouble

--

New Gotham was silent and peaceful under the afternoon sun. No crime anywhere, and people behaving as they should. It was like a dream come true to heroes. It was rather peaceful, but boring in Kari's mind. She walked down the streets in her people clothing, but hid in it as a disguise. She didn't want anyone to know it was her, because then, the poparazises would be on her tail in a heartbeat.

She continued down the sidewalk, keeping herself as calm as could be. She was still shaken about the whole ordeal about learning who was behind the killing of her parents. She had to repeatedly tell herself to not over react. She needed to keep calm, and face the problem when it came to that time.

Now what worried her was the fact that not only did the Question knows of her identity, but also the fact that he escaped the police, and is on the run. No doubt he was hiding back with his boss and wherever the other villians on the run were. It was only a matter of time before she found them, and make the leader pay.

Her eyes burned, and the tears were protesting, wanting to stream out. She narrowed her eyes, keeping herself from crying out in public. There was no way she was going to allow herself to cry infront of everyone here in Gotham. She continued walking down the sidewalk, keeping her head down. A guy walked by her, tapping shoulders with her. She didn't seem to care, but the guy did. He turned and glared at her.

"Hey girl, watch where you're going!" the guy said.

Kari just looked at him behind her sunglasses calmly. She turned and started to walk again. She wasn't going to make a scene, especially with a punk like him. He growled at her, not wanting her to just walk away from him like that. He grabbed her by the shoulder, and she looked at him calmly.

"What's the matter? Don't think you can take me on?" he questioned.

She rolled her eyes.

_"Please, I've taken on worse before,"_ she thought.

"I don't have time to mess with someone like you," she said, deathly calm.

The guy was a little taken back at how calm and cold her voice was. He almost thought she was... No, it couldn't be her. Batgirl's much more prettier then this girl.

"Oh, so apparently, you're too good to say sorry to someone like me, eh?" the guy questioned.

Kari sighed and closed her eyes.

"Let go of me," she said, her eyes suddenly glaring at him from behind her sunglasses, "_now_."

He stumbled back; Her glare wasn't nice. He growled, pulled back one of his fits and tried punching her. She sighed and caught his wrist. She did have a hard time to keep it from hitting her, but she was able to do it. He was surprised that she was able to catch his wrist. She lowered her eyes even more at him.

"Knock it off, you're really beginning to annoy me," she said to him cooly.

The guy growled. He fought even harder to try and get out of her grip, but she wouldn't allow it. She closed her eyes.

"I'm serious, knock it off," she said, her voice getting aggitated.

People started gathering at the sight. They were debating on whether to just watch, or to actually help Kari. The guy didn't care about their surroundings, and only focused on trying to get out of Kari's grip. Once again, she held on tighter.

"Stop resisting, and I'll release you," she said calmly once again.

"Let me go!" he growled.

She closed her eyes and began to twist his wrist. His eyes widened from the pain. He fell to one knee.

"Al-alright! I give up! Knock it off!" he pleaded.

She closed her eyes once again and released his wrist. He held his wrist with his other hand and rubbed it. She sighed, turned, and walked away.

_"Great, now that creep left me in a ticked off mood,"_ she thought.

She took in a breath, then released it.

_"Oh well, I nice walk should make everything better,"_ she thought.

She continued to walk down the sidewalk to the park, but stopped when she heard the batcom go off. She looked around, making sure no one had heard it, then ran into the nearest alleyway. The minute she came out of the alleyway, she was in her Batgirl outfit. She took out her grapel gun and shot it. She then swung around the city, till she came to the problem. It was a small robbery, but the two bank robbers had at least ten hostages. The Gotham Police were outside, standing guard of the place. Batgirl landed on a nearby building, and looked down at the bank.

"_**This is the police, come out with your hands up!**_" Gordon said over an intercom thingie.

_"They're never going to listen,"_ Batgirl thought as she stood up straight.

She took out her grapel gun again and shot it at the bank. She swung off and went around the back of the building. Inside the bank, the hostages were scared out of their minds. The two robbers were telling the bank teller to dump all the money into the bags. Batgirl looked down from the air vents with slitted eyes. She quietly opened the ventshaft, and moved it aside. She jumped down quickly. The hostages turned and looked at Batgirl, about to gasp, when Batgirl placed a finger to her mouth, signalling them to keep quiet. They nodded, and Batgirl hid in the closes shadow she could find (which was behind a plant). The robbers turned to the hostages.

"Okay, so we need to get rid of one of you, just to show the police that we're not push-overs!" one said. "Who will it be?"

His eyes scanned the crowd. His eyes landed on the little girl that was huddled next to her mother.

"How about... **you**!" he said.

He reached and grabbed the girl by her wrist, retracting her to his side.

"Mommy!" the little girl said through her tears.

Her mother reached out, tears streaming. Batgirl glared as the other guy held a gun to her head.

"Say nighty night, kiddy," the other said.

He was about to pull the trigger when a batarang flew out and cut the front of the laser gun. The two robbers looked at the cut gun with wide eyes.

"What the-? A _batarang_?" the other said. "Then that means-!"

"Let go of the girl," Batgirl said darkly as she stepped out of the shadows, her cape over her body.

"B-B-_BATGIRL_!!" they yelled, still holding onto the girl.

Batgirl glared at them, as she striked at them. But she didn't hit them. She grabbed the girl from their hands and rolled, then sat up with the girl in her arms. She sat the girl down, and turned over at the two robbers how were scared out of their minds.

"Go hide until I finish taking care of these guys," Batgirl ordered the little girl.

The little girl nodded, murmuring a small "thank you", before hiding behind another plant in the bank. The mother didn't move to get her child, not knowing what the robbers would do if she moved an inch. _But_, her child was scared, so she made a quick dash to her child. When she got there, she held her child in a protective embrace. Batgirl stood up straight, her cape still over her body. She rose her eyebrow. The two guys, getting over their fear, nervously ran at her, trying to punch her. She didn't move, the minute the two neared her, she rose up both her arms, and their chins hit the arms, rounded, and fell to the ground with a grunt. They rubbed their heads and looked up at Batgirl, only to see her leaing over them with her dark, calm manner. (This she picked up after watching some history videos of Batman. Boy, did she learn a lot from those!)

"Let's talk," she said darkly, leaning in closer.

"**AHHHHHHHHHHHHH!!**" was the sound of screaming that the police heard from outside the bank. The police officers blinked, and Gordon closed his eyes and smirked, rubbing the back of his neck with a small nervous chuckle.

"That Batgirl, knows when to help," he said to himself.

"Sir, should we go in and help the hostages?" a police officer asked.

"Actually, we might have to go in there to help the _robbers_," Gordon said, his smile still on his face.

"Help the robbers? Why!?" another officer asked.

They heard another screech from inside the bank, making Gordon sigh.

"Because Batgirl is in there," Gordon said.

"Batgirl?" a rookie on the team asked.

"Just watch," he said. "In 3... 2... 1-"

"Ahhh!! Somebody help us!!" the two robbers yelled as they ran out of the bank.

They ran over to the cops, and grabbed them by the shirts, getting on their knees.

"Please! Please put us in jail! Just get us away from _**that!**_" they yelled pointing at the doorway.

Batgirl stood at the doorway, her cape over her body. She was glaring at the robbers. The offiers blinked, looked at each other, shrugged, and cuffed them up. They placed them away in the hover cars and took off. The remaining police officers helped the hostages exit the building. Batgirl was still at the entrance, with Gordon by her side.

"I gotta hand it to you Batgirl, you're pretty strong," he said. "And scary when you want to be."

She smirked at him, when she felt a tug on her cape. She looked down to see the little girl looking at her with a big smile.

"Thank you for saving me today," the little girl said. "You were really nice."

Batgirl was a little taken back by what the girl said. But it was the good taken back. Batgirl smiled, one of her rare ones when she was in her other identity.

"No problem," she replied.

The girl smiled once again, before following her mother. Her mother looked at Batgirl, smiled, and nodded, before walking off with her daughter by her side. Batgirl watched them walk off, before hearing Gordon about to speak.

"You're a lot like the original Batman," he said.

_"How many times have I heard that?"_ she thought, a painful image of Lucas appearing.

"I haven't notice," she said plainly.

"Well, we're just glad to have someone like you to take care of guys like them," Gordon said.

"If I didn't know better, I'd think I would actually putting you out of a job," she said.

"Actually, you're not," he said. "Everyone needs back-up once in awhile."

Batgirl looked at him, and nodded. She took out her gapple gun, and shot it at another building, then swinging off. She still wanted to enjoy the rest of her day.

"Batgirl, we need your help over by the New Metropolis pier," Brainy said over her batcom.

And there it went. Batgirl sighed.

_"So much for relaxing,"_ she thought.

"Okay Brainy, on my way," she said, turning off the batcom.

She landed on a flat roof, pressed the bat on her batcom, and waved for a few seconds, before her hover-batcycle stopped infront of her. She got on, and took off towards the pier. When she arrived, she found Brainy, Karate Kid, Colossal Boy, and Shrinking Violet up against the Fatal Five: the Emerald Empress, Validus, the Presuader, Mano, and Tharok. She lowered the hover-batcycle right over Mano's head, and positioned herself, before jumping down. Karate Kid, who had been fighting him earlier, looked momentarily to see Batgirl coming down. Just as she was about to hit the bad guy, he jumped back. Mano looked at the kid strangely, but was hit by Batgirl in the head, making him fall into the planks. Batgirl jumped, and did a back-flip, landing a safe distance away. Karate Kid looked at her and nodded.

"Thank you," he said.

"No problem," she said.

Mano brought up his hand to burn the wood, but actually made the hole bigger, and he fell into the water. Both Legionnaires looked down the hole to see Mano swimming.

"Idiot," she mumbled.

Karate Kid looked up. He jumped and pushed Batgirl out of the way. They looked up to see the Persuader's axe where Batgirl use to be. Batgirl and Karate Kid stood up, Batgirl glaring at him.

"Great, the axe," she said.

She and Karate Kid got into a stance, and jumped at him. He swung at them, but they dodged it. Batgirl jumped from the steam of the axe, and was about to kick him, but moved over him. He turned and looked at her. He was a little confused.

"What's the deal? Bad at aiming?" he asked.

Batgirl looked at him calmly.

"Who said I was aiming at you?" she asked. "Who said I was even going to _hit_ you?"

Persuader's eyes widened, but it was too late. Before he had the chance to fully turn, Karate Kid kicked him in the back, sending him down. His hand let go of the axe. Batgirl grabbed it, and threw it in the water. Hopefully, no one would go down to get it. She turned and looked at Karate Kid and the Persuader. Persuader had grabbed Karate Kid's foot and threw him. Batgirl ran and did a kick to his legs. He stumbled, but she wasn't done. She jumped and did an upper kick to his jaw. He fell back. To make sure he wouldn't be much trouble, she and Karate Kid pushed him into the water. The two looked over at the others, to see them taking care of the other three Fatal Five members.

"Come on, let's-ugh!" she fell back with a hit.

"Batgirl!" Karate Kid said.

He was about to help her, when an vine slapped him back. Batgirl held her head as she looked up and recognized the vine.

"Rose Thorne," she said.

"So good of you to remember me," she said.

Batgirl slitted at her. She was about to lunge at her, when something stopped her. Something cold. She looked down immediatly and saw her feet embodied in ice. She growled, and looked up immediatly. Next to Rose Thorne was Icy. Batgirl took out a batarang and thrust it into the ice block. It broke open. Before Icy could shoot at her again, she jumped up, did a flip, and landed behind Icy. She turned quickly and swepted Icy. He fell to the ground. Rose Thorne turned and had her vine shot at Batgirl, but a laser stopped the attack. Batgirl looked up to see Brainy in his fighting form.

"Thanks Brainy," Batgirl said, jumping and landing on the vine.

She ran up the vine and was about to hit Rose Thorne, when a clay substance pushed her, making her fall onto the wodden pier. She sat up on her side, rubbing her head, and muttered an "ouch." She looked and saw Clayface, his clay arm returning to his side. She growled and stood up. She took out a batarang and threw it at him. He placed his hand up, catching it. Batgirl smirked. The batarang started electricuty the clay person. Clayface screeched in pain, as it moved around, trying to rid itself of the pain but couldn't. He began morphing into numourous things. She turned behind her to see the other Legionnaires not only fighting what left of the Fatal Five, but now, Scarecrow and Catgirl joined the fight. Icy and Rose Thorne were still behing her, but Karate Kid and Brainy were taking care of them. She had a score to settle with the cut though. She was about to run to Catgirl, when a shot nearly hit her. She jumped back and looked at the hole. She looked up, and sure enough, there was the Emerald Empress, with her eyeball floating next to her.

"Where do you think you're going?" she asked.

"Well, I was going to take care of a little cat problem," Batgirl said, before slitting her eyes and smirking. "But you and your eyeball will have to do."

"You wish," Emerald Empress said, having her eyeball shoot once again.

Batgirl jumped out of the way again, and took out her grapple-gun. It began to wrap up around the Emerald Empress, then brought her down to her level, her eyeball in tow. The Empress began squirming in the ropes grip.

"Let go of me!" the Empress demanded.

"Not yet," she said.

Batgirl took out a batarang and stuck it in the eye's pupil. The eyeball flew back in pain. The Emerald Empress looked at they ball.

"What are you doing to it?!" she demanded.

"Short circuting it," Batgirl said plainly. "And to make sure you don't try to help it..."

She began tieing up the other end to one of the wodden poles. Once finished, she ran to the others to help them with their fight. The eyeball continued to fly around in pain. Batgirl ran and did a kick to the side, in Catgirl's side. Catgirl fell to the side with a grunt. She rose a little bit and glared at the girl. Batgirl had a sided smirk.

"What's wrong kitty-cat?" she teased, calmly. "Can't land on your own two feet?"

"Meow!" Catgirl meowed.

She pounced at Batgirl. Batgirl fell to the ground, and kicked upwards, and away from her. Catgirl turned in the air and landed on her feet and hands. Batgirl got to her feet, and dodged when Catgirl tried to hit her with her whip. Catgirl swung again. Batgirl tried grabbing it, but missed, and the whip caused a rip in her glove, revealing her skin. Blood came out. Batgirl winced at the burn. She jumped back, missing yet another hit from the whip. She skidded back as Catgirl advanced.

_"Some help would be appreciated right about now,"_ she thought, taking out a batarang and trying to slash at the whip.

"What's wrong? Afraid of a little whip?" Catgirl teased.

Batgirl growled. Suddenly, a hand came out and grabbed the whip. Both Catgirl and Batgirl blinked. They looked to see Matter-Eater Lad with a grin. He opened his mouth, and chomped on the whip, reducing it to half of what it originally was. Catgirl brought it back to her, and stared at it surprisngly and in disbelief.

"My whip! You chomped it in half!" Catgirl screeched.

Matter-Eatter Lad gulped down the last of the whip.

"And I must say, it was very tasty," he said, wiping his mouth.

Batgirl looked over at Matter-Eatter Lad.

"Thanks," she said.

Matter-Eatter Lad grinned at her. Catgirl took at a catarang and threw it at them. Batgirl, with her batarang still out, threw it at the catarang, and deflected it. Catgirl turned and ran, but Batgirl threw two bolas at her, and it wrapped around her ankles and her body, trapping the arms aswell. Catgirl fussed, trying to get out of the bolas.

"Just stay quiet kitty-cat," Batgirl said, cuffing her up.

"Must you cuff me up?" Catgirl demanded.

"Must you ask?" Batgirl said.

Catgirl growled as Batgirl stood up. She looekd to see Matter-Eatter Lad now fighting Validus. Batgirl wasn't paying attention, and felt a painful hit in the back. Her eyes looked to see that it was a vine, that had gotten away from Rose Thorne. But there was more. Once the vine stopped and retreated back to Rose Thorne, Batgirl turned and stood ready to fight Rose Thorne, when Clayface shot at her with his clay arm straight in her stomach. Now, she thought she had placed Clayface under that batarang, but Rose Thorne had gotten it out quickly, so now he could fight. The clay arm shot her out past the pier, then retracted his arm back. She then fell down towards the water. That stupid clay thing made her fall towards the water. She fell through the water with great force. The combined forces of the pain in her stomach and the pain in the back forced the wind out of her. She continued floating to the ground, and began searching through her pocuhes for something. Her mouth opened with a gasp.

"Oh no, Batgirl!" Violet said, kicking back Scarecrow.

She ran to the railing and looked down. She searched the waters, but didn't see Batgirl rise from it. She saw some bubbles, hoping that it was Batgirl trying to get back up to the surface, but the bubbles went away. Violet's eyes narrowed in sadness.

"Oh no," she said.

"Vi! Move!" Colossal Boy said.

Vi moved and saw the Scarecrow throw something at her. She jumped out of the way. Clayface shot his arm, and wrapped the clay around Vi's body. He then lifted her high in the air, and began crushing her. Vi screamed out in pain. The others looked. They tried to help their Legionnaire commrade, but was stopped by the others who could actually fight (btw, the eyeball fell into the water). Clayface was trying to squeeze out her breath, and was about to loose it, when she watched a batarang fly out and slice Clayface's hand. The electrictution made sure the arm didn't reattach. Vi fell to the ground, but was coushined by the clay. The batarang landed in the wodden railing. The clay then retreated back to Clayface. Vi looked from the batarang over to where the source had come from. Batgirl was hanging from the railing, with some kind of breathing thing in her mouth. She took it out and began breathing in and out.

"Clayface, you're going to pay for sending me into the water," Batgirl said darkly, placing her bat-breather in one of it's pouches.

Vi blinked, not believing that her friend was okay. Batgirl jumped over the railing and got into a stance. She looked up at Clayface with a glare. Before the thing could say anything, Batgirl took out a stun grenade and threw it at him. Clayface froze for a second, but did a smart think and jumped in the water; so the grenade went towards Rose Thorne. Karate Kid jumped away, not wanting to get hit by whatever this is. Before Rose Thorne could react, the grenade went off, sending off a stunning light and a loud bang. Everyone, after protecting their eyes from the grenade, looked to see Rose Thorne, stunned completely; She couldn't move. What ever was left of the villains ran off, trying to not get hit by her grenades. The Emerald Empress wasn't so lucky. She threw a grenade at her, and it made her stop from trying to move away. After a few minutes, everyone was gone. All that was left was the Legionnaires, Rose Thorne, and the Emerald Empress. The Science Police showed up, and placed the two in the truck. Empress glared at Batgirl.

"Hold on, I need to talk to the girls real fast," Batgirl said.

The Science Police nodded. They couldn't really say no to _her_, because she would make them say yes either way. She walked into the truck and glared at both the girls. Empress was returning the glare, but Rose Thorne was smirking.

"You want something from us, don't ya?" she asked.

Batgirl's eyes slitted at them.

"Answer," she said.

Rose Thorne closed her eyes and nodded.

"Might aswell, it's not like you can do much," she said, looking up at her. Her eyes looked suddenly serious. "My boss told us to tell you that he's waiting for you."

Batgirl's eyes slitted over towards the Emerald Empress.

"And your story?" she asked.

"That boss she's talking about sprang us out of jail. In exchange, we were to help take care of you," Emerald said. She then smirked. "We didn't mind. I just didn't know you'd be this good."

Batgirl folded her arms and glared at her.

"You'll need to find my boss quickly, before he gets bored of the game," Rose Thorne said. "For some reason, he's chosen you over all the other Legionnaires. Don't make him wait any longer, or who knows what will happen."

Rose Thorne had a wicked smile. Batgirl's eyes slitted, before turning and walking out of the truck with her cape following behind her. Once outside of it, she grabbed the door, and shut it herself. She didn't want to see them anymore. The Legionnaires then walked off, back to the tower.

"So Batgirl, how was your relaxing time?" Vi asked as they walked back.

Batgirl looked at her with a smirk. Her hover-batcycle was following behind her.

"Not that relaxing," she answered.

--

Back in the dark room, the fighters that escaped from the fight were there, including the dripping Mano and Persuader. The Persuader was a little sad because of his axe; He didn't retrieve it when he was in the water. The leader, sitting on his seat, turned and looked at them.

"We... failed," Thaork said.

"Did you now?" the leader said calmly. "Where is the Empress, and Rose Thorne?"

"They were caught by... Batgirl," Mano said.

"Did they now? Good," the leader said, once again calmly.

"Wha? What do you mean?" Persuader asked.

"Rose Thorne probably told her," the leader said.

"Told her what?" Mano asked.

"That I am waiting to finish the game," he said. "Now your job is to make it harder for her to get here."

"Well how the heck am I going to do that without my axe?" Persuader asked, his arms crossed and an eyebrow raised.

The leader turned away from them, bedore turning back with the axe in his light purple gloves. Persuaders eyes widened. His axe was dry, and was sparkling from being cleaned off by the water, then dryed by a towel. The leader shook his head.

"You should hold onto this more carefully, it's a very powerful weapon," the leader said.

The leader threw back at him. Persuader caught it with one hand. The owner of it held it in his hands, still in a bit of awe.

"Now then, wait at your posts," the leader ordered.

They nodded, all of the members of the Legion of Doom, and ran off out of the building. He turned and looked back at the tv screen. On it, he watched as Batgirl waved good-bye to the Legionnaires, before getting on her hover-batcycle, and taking off. The leader smirked, as he watched her face slowly beginning to concentrate.

"Good, I have her in the palm of my hands," he said, his gloved palm curling. "Now the peliminaries, is over."

His smirk seemed to grow.

"And the real games will start soon enough."

--

Kari walked around the batcave, looking at everything. Her eyes didn't look like she was interested, only thinking. She stopped back at the computer, and sighed. She sat down, looking at her lap. Everything since the moment the Question told her that his boss was the killer all to the point where Rose Thorne told her about the boss waiting for her, she was debating on what to do. She looked up at the screen, it was dim, but the bat was on the computer screen. Her eyes lowered.

"I know what I have to do," she said.

She got up, and left the computer. She knew what she had to do.

To be continued ...

--

Me: Finished with the sevententh chapter. It's a cliff-hanger! (Maybe my first and best one yet!) Sorry if it was kinda short, and didn't really have a plot at all. I just wanted to show what Batgirl means to Gotham. So, what is Kari going to do? What is it that she's going to do? We're almost done ladies and gentlemen, and I am please with my fic. This is your last chance to guess who the boss is. I hope you all liked it. Please continue to read, and please review.


	18. Meeting the Leader

Disclaimer: Me: Hi everyone. Here's Chapter Eighteen. It's almost over. Here's the moment you've all been waiting for... Who. Is. The. Leader?

Title: Bat of the Future

Author: AnimeGirl 144

Chapter 18: Meeting the Leader

--

It was getting late in the evening, and everyone in the Legion tower was whining down. Right now, they just wanted to rest and hang out, hoping no more troubles would come up. They were lucky there wasn't. But something was lerking in the shadows. But it wasn't an intruder.

Batgirl moved quickly through the shadows, not wanting to be spotted by the others. She didn't want to have to explain herself to them; not to any of them. This was her burden, and she was going to carry it all on her own. And if anyone thought they were going to stop her, they were sadly mistaken.

A door suddenly slid open, and Batgirl stopped dead in her tracks, and watched Cham walk out of the door quietly. Cham stopped walking when he felt someone watching him. He turned, but saw no one there. He shrugged, and walked off. Once the coast was clear, she continued through the shadows.

She had to get to the vault before anyone else stopped her. After going down many levels in the tower, she arrived to where she wanted to be. She walked over to the vault and stared at it. She took out her laser tourch and made a hole in the vault door. Once it fell inward, she quickly walked into the darkness. In the middle was the bag that had a piece of Clayface's clay in it. She walked over to it and held it in her hand. The clay was still alive. She walked back to the opening in the vault. She stopped and looked at who was blocking her way.

"What are you doing Kari?" Superman asked.

Batgirl stared at Superman emotionessly.

"Kari," he said.

"I don't have to explain myself to you Clark," Batgirl said darkly.

Superman was taken back by her tone. Why was she like this? She tried walking past him, but Superman blocked her way. She glared up at him. He stared at her strongly.

"Move Superman, now," she growled.

He didn't cower under the glare. He stood his ground firmly. Kari was actting weird, and he wanted to know why.

"No," he said. "Not until you tell me what you're doing."

She sighed. She removed her mask, and looked at the ground with a mixed feeling. He thought he got through to her, but it was all in vein. She looked up at him with an apology in her eyes. This confused him greatly.

"Sorry Superman," she said, reaching into her back pocket.

Superman blinked.

_"Sorry? For what?"_ he thought.

She pulled out a small lead box.

"But you leave me no choice," she said, popping open the lead box.

His eyes widened when he saw kryptonite in the box. She exposed it at him, and he felt weak, falling to his hands and knees. Kari really was sorry for doing this; she didn't want it to come to this. He looked up at her weakly.

"Kari... why?"

"Sorry Superman," she said, pressing the kryptonite closer to him.

Superman was getting weaker then ever. Right before he collapsed, she closed the lid. His strength was slowly returning to him. He looked up at her, but she was already leaving. Her cape followed after her gracefully. She replaced her mask on.

"But I have to do this, on my own."

He didn't say a word, only faint. Batgirl looked back at him, before walking off, blending in with the shadows once again.

--

Once outside the Tower, the sun was still setting. Batgirl looked back at the tower, before getting on her hover-batcycle. She bent down and placed the clay on the ground. The thing immediatly took off, and so did she. She followed it through New Metropolis and into New Gotham City. It kept going into Downtown New Gotham. It then slid under a door that belonged to a wear-downed building. She got off the hover-batcycle, and looked at the building. She walked over to the door, and studied it. She took a step back, then did a thrust kick, forcing it open. The room was empty with dust and cobwebs.

In the very back was an elevator shaft. Cautiously stepping forward, she walked onto the platform, and pulled the clutch down. The shaft elevator did a weird noise, and began to move downward slowly. She crossed her arms, and continued to wait for the shaft to reach it's destination. Suddenly, light appeared behind her. She turned and her eyes widened when she saw a duplicate of Downtown Gotham. The shaft stopped, and the gate opened for her. She walked out of it, and onto the road. She looked around. All the building were the same height, but no one was here. At least there _isn't_ any scum on the streets.

"Hey, Batsy!" Pane's voice suddenly said.

Well, there _wasn't_ any scum on the streets. She turned and looked to see the Legion of Doom (And the four of the Fatal Five members) there. She turned fully and got into a fighting stance. She was not about to lose to any of them. The members smirked, and started advancing towards her. Batgirl narrowed her eyes considerably.

--

Brainy was at COMPUTO, looking through all the live feeds of video throughout the tower. He stopped at one of them when he saw a cutted opening in a vault down in the lower sectors of the tower. He had never seen this vault before, but someone broke it. But COMPUTO didn't alert them of a intruder. Was it one of their own? Locking the feed, he turned in his chair.

"Cosmic Boy, check this out," Brainy said.

Cosmic Boy walked over to him.

"What is it?" he asked.

"Look at this," Brainy said.

Cosmic Boy looked over his shoulder and saw what he was looking at. His eyes widened when he saw that the vault was broken into.

"Somehow, someone broke into the tower and went straight to the vault," Brainy said. "But COMPUTO didn't report any intruders."

"Because it wasn't an intruder that broke into the vault," Superman suddenly said.

Everyone looked. Though the others didn't know what was going on, they wanted to know.

"What do you mean?" Triplicate Girl asked, verting into her three forms.

"It was Kari," Superman said, ignoring the others.

He walked (almost stumbled) over to COMPUTO. Cosmic was surprised. Brainy was confused, but didn't show it.

"What did she take?" Brainy asked. "And if you were there, how did she get pass you?"

"I don't know what she took, but she had a piece of kryptonite with her," Superman said.

Cosmic Boy's eyes widened. He knew what she took.

"Brainy, find her, now!" Cosmic ordered.

Brainy blinked, but started typing ont he keyboard to find their teammate.

"Cos, what's going on?" Lightning Lad asked, walking over to the three.

"She took that piece of clay, remember?" he said.

"The one we found at the batcave?" Bouncing Boy asked.

"You've been to the batcave and never told me about it!" Triplicate Girl (still in her three forms) shouted.

Bouncing Boy laughed nervously as the forms went off at him. Cham watched, surprised.

"What would she want with a lifeless clay piece?" Star Boy asked.

"I never said it was lifeless," Cosmic said.

Star Boy looked surprised.

"It-it's alive?" he asked.

"Technically, it's part of a much bigger thing," Superman said.

"It was one of those things we saw yesterday, correct?" Karate Kid asked.

"Yea," Vi confirmed.

"Found her," Brainy said.

Everyone looked at the moniter screen (even the two that were in a lover's quarrel).

"Come on!" he said to the group.

The group nodded and followed Cosmic out of the tower. They just hoped they weren't too late.

--

"Ugh!" the Question said, falling to the ground.

Batgirl stood in her stance. Catgirl lunged at her from behind, but Batgirl turned and did an punch to her jaw. That sent Catgirl falling back. She smirked. Her cape was suddenly grabbed from behind by Pane. She growled as she looked at the bad guy.

"You!" she said through clenched teeth.

"You know, it was very wrong how you tried to place me in prision," Pane said.

"And how'd you get out?" she demanded.

"That's not your problem," he said.

He brought back his fist and punched Batgirl in the front. It knocked the wind out of her and made her fall back. She sat up and began coughing, trying to re-breathe again. Once she gained her breath again, she was able to dodge being melted alive by Mano. Scarecrow was behind her when she gained balance, and did a swift kick to the spine, sending her painfully forward. She got to her knees and hands and began breathing deeply. She couldn't lose, not to them. Icy rose his hand and a blizzard formed around her. Her throat and body began to grow numb. Batgirl held her throat. This couldn't be how it ended! She hadn't even avenged her family yet!

She opened her mouth, but nothing came out. She was only able to mouth "no", until her hands gave out and she fell to the ground. Her hand moved slowly to her pouch. She had to get something to stop this; anything at all! She was about to grab a batarang, but her hand was too numb to touch it. She could hear Catgirl laughing, while the Question chuckled.

"Is something wrong my dear?" he asked.

Batgirl glared up at the Question. She said nothing.

_"If I could,"_ she thought bitterly, _"I would be using a _**very**_ colorful sentence."_

"What's wrong?" Catgirl teased. "Cat got your tounge?"

Catgirl said the last part bitterly. Batgirl's glare then went to the cat-obsessed girl. Batgirl tried once again, to try and make her body move, but it wouldn't comply. Her vision was beginning to go, when she noticed the storm was dying down. She forced her eyes open more, and she felt herself beginning to warm up. She looked to see Sun Boy.

"Don't worry Batgirl," he said, "back-up's here."

She moved her head to see behind her, and to see the other Legion members. She blinked, before looking around. With her friends preoccupying the Legion of Doom, she could focus on finding the leader of the whole orginization, and take him down. Her eyes widened when she found the building she was looking for. When Sun Boy finished heating her body back up, she stood up, and looked at him.

"Sun Boy, tell the others I'm going to take down the big boss," she said, starting to run in the direction she believed the leader was down.

"Will you need back-up?" he asked.

"No!" she called back, her tone just _daring_ him to say otherwise. "This is personal."

She had whispered the last part. Sun Boy shrugged, then began helping Brainy take on Icy. Batgirl ran to the metal door. She knew it was unlocked, and just swiftly kicked it. Okay, maybe she was wrong. Her foot stung. She held it, before glaring at the door. She took out her laser torch and melted the hinges. Once the hinges were gone, she kicked it, and it fell backwards. She smirked, and swiftly ran into it. The leader was watching the screens (forgot to mention, there is at least one big tv, surrounded by tweleve mini tvs) when he suddenly smirked.

"You've made it," he said. "I was wondering if you weren't going to make it. But I'm glad to see you have."

Batgirl walked out of the shadows and glares at him, or, of what she could see. The room was still dimly lit, and it was hard for her to see. She was almost about to turn on her night vision, when the leader of the Legion of Doom spoke to her.

"No, no. No need to turn on your night goggles," he said, still looking at the tvs. "I will simply, turn on the lights."

The minute he said it, the lights turned on. She blinked, adjusting to the new light. He turned, and looked up at her. His eyes lowered as he smirked. She glared at him, but something about him was familiar. He stood up.

The leader had smooth green hair that was short. His eyes were dark green, that looked dim. He wore a white short sleeve shirt with a dark purple short-sleeve, light-wighted jacket over it, with light purple dress pants. On his hands were light purple gloves. But one thing caught her eyes, he was extremely pale.

(Okay, does anyone want to take a guess now?)

Batgirl stood her ground.

"Who are you?" she demanded.

He closed his eyes and smirked.

"Well, you know me better as," his eyes flashed open, his eyes now light blue, "Jay Jemi."

Batgirl's eyes widened.

"How are you him?" she demanded.

Jay's smirk rose.

"Oh, but I am," he said in his voice. "You see, I can change my skin color, my hair color and length, and my eye color. It comes in quite handy."

She growled more.

"But I'm sure you'd like to know more about me, right?" he asked.

He didn't give her time to speak, only continued to speak.

"Well, I go by a different name, though I never use it," he said.

"And what is _that_?" she demanded, her teeth clenched.

"Jester," he said.

"Jester?" Batgirl whispered. _"Why is that so familiar?"_

"I named myself this when I had learned who my ancestor was," Jester said, calmly walking away from his seat. "The Joker."

Batgirl's eyes widened.

(Seriously? How many of you thought he would make an appearence in here? I tried making him like Slade, and you'll see why.)

"You see, even though he turned insane do to a freak accident (can't remember), his gene went through my family's bloodline, but none of us turned out that weird," Jester said, now his back to her. "And my family line never went back to a life of crime."

His voice sounded bored, like his family didn't matter. This made Batgirl growl, for he took away her parents.

"But, when my parents were away, I'd read up on my ancestor, and learn all about him. To me, he was a genius, though he was a nuts and how he actted," Jester continued. "Since I was growing up in business, I was calm, and found that being calm was easier to get what I desired."

"How do you mean?" she asked.

"Well, aside from the Legion of Doom, do you remember the gang Yunix Thorugh?" he asked.

"I do," she said. "They killed millions around the galaxy. No one was able to stop them! They finally gave up when they all..."

She didn't continue.

"Not all of them did," Jester said, smirking. "I was the leader, and I was the one who told them to."

Batgirl's eyes widened.

"But what does that have to do with you not actting like the Joker?!" she shouted.

"For one, I was smart enough to not reveal who I was, so no one could find me," he said. "And with a calm head, the Yunix were able to wreak havioc for more than ten years."

His eye lids then lowered in bordom.

"The Joker wasn't a true villain, only a bad guy actting like a kid," Jester said. "I detest when a villain isn't actting sane. So, I began learning from another."

"Another?" Batgirl asked.

"Yes," he said. "Do you remember of ever hearing of a team called the Teen Titans?"

"Those teenagers that formed into a group nearly a thousand years ago?" Batgirl asked. "Yea."

"How about, Slade?" he asked.

A shiver went down her back. Even though the villains in the past were dead, they still made shivers go down her back.

"I studied from him, in the means of making others do what you want," he said. "It was easy to do."

"So why did you come and kill my parents?" she demanded.

Jester's smirked fell, and he looked at her with bordom mixed with annoyence. Apparently, he liked to talk about himself.

"Of all the superheroes out there, I hated Batman," he said. "Probably had something to do with the fact that the Joker hated Batman too."

Tension was leveling in the room. Jester looked at her annoyingly, before sighing. She couldn't take a joke.

"Anyhow, I had heard that one of the wannabe Batman's was dead, but I knew a new one would rise. And I had a feeling your father, or even your mother, would be the next one. So, to make sure, I got rid of them both. To my surprise, you were the one to take the role. I admit mistakes, and one of them was not killing you when I had the chance," he said, smirking. "But I won't let that happen again. Not now."

He took out a knife, and suddenly smiled, almost looking like he was the Joker. He swung at her. She jumped in the air, and moved to the side. She landed on the control panel. He looked over and saw what she was trying to do.

"Nice try Ms. Wayne," Jester said calmly. "But I know you want me to destroy the control pad, but it won't happen, I'm smarter than that."

"Oh of course you are," Batgirl said dramatically, holding a batarang in her hand. "But then again, I'm smarter than that too!"

She thrust down the batarang, than cut through the control panel. The tv screens behind her were fuzzing up. Jester's eyes widened as he ran to the panel. The minute he got there, Batgirl did a thrust kick to his chest, sending him back. He fell to the ground.

"Idiot," she said out loud.

She got off the panel as it sparked. Jester got up and looked at her. He grabbed a card from his card pouch (which was on his side), and threw it at her. She ducked, but her stomach was now in pain. She looked down and saw that Jester threw a knife into her stomach. She ripped it out carefully, and threw it aside. It didn't go in deep, so it wasn't fatal. She would just need to not loose a lot of blood, or plug it up. She ducked a kick to the head, as she turned and swept him. He stumbled back. Batgirl found this as he moment to kick him in the spine. He fell to the ground with a more painful grunt. She jumped back, keeping her space incase something happened.

"Tired yet?" she asked.

"No," he said calmly, getting up. "I haven't even started yet."

He took out a small marble and threw it at her. She stared down at it. It was ticking, and before she could move, the explosion made her fly back and hit the wall. She looked up and a card cut her on the arm. She looked at the card, and moved out of the way before another card hit her. She bent down and did an upper kick to the jaw. He fell back again. Batgirl got on her feet and drop kicked Jester. She then punched him in the face, making him fall back (twisting once in the air). She stood over him, glaring at him. She grabbed him by the hem of his shirt and brought him to face level. He looked beat, but his eyes snapped open, revealing blood red eyes. He kicked her in the chest with both his feet. She flew back and hit the wall. He did a flip, and landed on his feet. Batgirl sat up, and looked at him.

"Now then, let's really start fighting," he said.

"You were messing with me?!" she said.

He smirked, dodging a kick to the head. He took out a card and threw it at her head. She moved out of the way, but half of her mask was caught by it, and ripped half of it off of the suit. She touched half of her exposed face, and felt no blood. She ripped off the other half, leaving her suit and her cap. She glared at him, while he smirked.

"Now, you are dead!" she growled, running at him.

Cham stumbled back. On his cheek was a freshly red bruise. He jumped back. Clayface and Scarecrow threw punches at him with their stretchy arms. He tried dodging them, but wasn't able to try and hit them. He stumbled back a bit more, before feeling something grab his legs and pull him. He went through the ground before resurfacing on a roof on a random building. He looked to see that it was Phantom Girl who saved him.

"Thanks PG," he said with a smile.

She nodded.

"You looked like you were getting pounded, so I thought I'd help," she said.

Both looked over the ledge and saw Scarecrow and Clayface not facing off against Superman and Brainy. Phantom Girl looked at him.

"Come on Cham, let's go help Timber Wolf," Phantom Girl said, taking off.

Cham blinked, before looking down the empty road. He only hoped Kari was alright.

"Cham!" Phantom Girl called.

"Coming!" Cham said, jumping down.

The back of Batgirl's head hit the control panel. She held it with one of her hands and took out a stun grenade and threw it at him. He shielded his eyes. When the light dimmed, a gloved fist met Jester's cheek. He stumbled back, and a roundhouse kick to the stomach made him fall back on his butt. He took out a card and threw it at her. She dodged it, sucessfully missing the card. She glared at him with her cold black eyes. She was bruised and tired. Jester was the same aswell, even having a blooded lip. She took out a shuriken and threw it at his neck. It was almost there, when he grabbed it and threw it back. It was so quick, it planted itself in her left shoulder. She took it out carefully and held her bleeding shoulder. She took a step back. Her suit looked bloody, and her cape was sliced in half.

"Tired?" Jester asked, getting up.

She growled in rage and back-handed. It landed, and she actually knocked a tooth out of his mouth. He fell to his hands, but quickly got up and moved out of the way, just missing a heel kick from Batgirl. He got up and kicked her in on of her kidneys. She fell back, and held her side. She fell to one of her knees and held her side tightly. Jester stood up and smirked at her. She glared at him, and with her good side, got a nice kick in between the legs. He stumbled back in pain. She steadily got up and breathed heavily. Her eyes widened as a new pain ran through her. She cluctched the area where her heart was and breathed. It was hurting.

_"Fighting Icy and the Legion of Doom, then this guy,"_ she thought, _"of course it's going to hurt."_

He smirked. She took out a batarang and threw it at him. Her hand was unsteady, and he easily caught it. With her kidney's still hurting and her heart hurting, she bent down. Jester smirked as he walked over to her. She looked up at him. Before he could thrust the batarang on her, she kicked his wrist and forced it out of his hands. He held the wrist in pain. She got up and quickly grabbed the arm that the hurting wrist was on, and pulled the arm behind him.

"Going to brake my arm off I see," Jester said.

"Oh trust me," she said. "I will."

"Now, now. You're a reasonable girl," he said. "Can't we work something out?"

She growled and pushed it. She could hear the bones beginning to brake. Jester's face twisted in pain.

"I'm smarter than you think," she said.

"Yes, well then, we'll just have to do this the hard way," he said.

He pointed his glove at her, and shot a gas substance in her face. She released his arm and began coughing. She opened her eyes halfway, and they became watery. She fumbled through the pouches, looking for her BatDefog, but a kick to the stomach made her fall back on her butt. She looked up to see Jester staring at her in the smoke. She looked at his feet and swept him. He jumped and her kick missed her opponent.

"You're so predictable," he said calmly.

She growled, and tired kicking him again. He grabbed her ankle and threw her to the side. She slid and hit the wall. One of the lights fell. She looked up, saw it, and rolled out of the way before it hit her. She looked from it back to where Jester use to be. He ran at her, jumped in the air to try and kick her across the face. She grabbed his foot and pushed him away from her. He hit the wall face first. He fell to the ground. He turned and looked at her. She was gettting up. She held her knees, and looked at herself. She was loosing a lot of blood, and was hurting.

"Not yet my dear," he said.

She looked at him.

"The game isn't over yet," he said, lunging at her.

Cham ran away from the Persuader, who was trying to hit him with his axe. The axe was nearly about to hit him, when he heard metallic hit metallic. He turned to see Cosmic Boy now fighting off Persuader. Cham smiled. Cosmic was holding a giant metallic wall between him and the axe.

"Thanks dude," he said.

"Cham," Cosmic said, not looking at the changling.

"Huh?"

"You and me will go find Batgirl," Cosmic said. "Start looking for her, and I'll follow you."

Cham blinked, before nodding. He turned into a dog, and began sniffing for his friend. Cosmic watched him leave from the corner of his eyes, before looking back at the wall, and thrusting it at Persuader. The axe was pushed back. The wall fell to the ground. Persuader smirked. Cosmic rose an eyebrow and a smirk rose. All around him, metal bars were floating in the air. Persuader's eyes widened.

"Uh-oh," he said.

Cosmic smirked, throwing the bars at him, and they hit all of them, even knocking the axe out of his hand. The majority of the metal bars flew and hit him in the head and stomach. Once he piled metal on the now knocked out Persuader, he flew after Cham.

Kari fell forward in pain. She placed her palms on the ground and tried getting up again, but was in too much pain. Jester smirked. She looked up at him and glared. She was running out of blood. The more she fought, the more blood she was loosing. She could see her puddles on the floor.

"As fun as this game is," he said. "You are making a mess out on my floor. So... we'll just have to get rid of you."

She growled, but her eyes caught something. Jester took out a sharp card with the joker on it. She took out her graple gun, and aimed it at the object she was looking at. The cable brought it back to her, and she quickly untied it. Jester held the card over his head and brought it down. Kari got up to her knees and thrusted the knife into his heart. He stopped in his tracks. She narrowed her eyes.

_"Now... or never!"_ she thought. _"Long... live... the Legion!"_

She twisted the knife, then ripping it out, the heart on it. Jester's color grew paler then ever as his eyes dimed. He dropped the card to the floor. His body fell backwards, the blood that could escape did. Kari breathed in deeply and threw the knife in disgust. It hit the wall and fell to the ground. She fell to her hands, before falling on the ground again. She breathed in deeply, trying to catch her breath.

_"I... I di-did it mom and dad,"_ she thought.

She smiled.

"I... I've finally... avenged you," she said, closing her eyes.

"Kari!" Cham yelled.

She didn't move her head, but looked at him with her eyes.

"Ch-Cham," she whispered.

"Cosmic! I found her!" Cham yelled.

In seconds Cosmic appeared, seeing al lthe blood, then looking over to see Kari laying on the floor, still loosing blood.

"Kari!" he shouted.

He flew over to her side and picked her up, holding her in his arms. She still had her eyes closed, and she was pale. Cham ran over to them, and stopped. He saw Jester's body, and felt sickly when he saw the opening. He hasn't felt this way since Brainy had killed Imperix.

"Kari. Kari, wake up," Cosmic said.

Kari's eyes opened a little bit. She smiled weakly.

"I did it," she said. "I found... him and..."

She didn't continue, only continue to smile. She was dying; She knew it, and he knew it.

"Kari, we'll go take you to a hospital, and you'll be better again," he said.

His voice was so desprate; He didn't want to loose her. She didn't acknowledge what he was saying.

"Rokk, be serious," she said. "I know I'm dying, and I'm okay with it. It was bound to happen with all the late night duty I've done."

She chuckled at her own joke, especially since she used it on the previous Batman. Cosmic was biting back the tears. Cham was silently crying.

"Besides, I've lost too much blood to be saved," she said, her voice weakening.

"No Kari," Cham's voice cracked. "We-we... we can still save you."

"Sorry Cham, but not everyone is meant to live forever," she said.

She looked at them with a smile that was rarely.

"Tell the others bye, and Alfred sorry," she said.

Her eyes were lowering as her smile faded.

"Long... live... the... Legion," she said in a whispered voice.

Her eyes closed, and her skin went deathly pale. Her last breath left, and Cosmic couldn't feel her pulse. The tears streamed down silently. Cham rubbed his tears away with his arm. Kari laied her body on the ground, and stared at her paled face. He closed his eyes and looked away. The Legionnaires were able to tie up the other Legion of Doom members (all of them knocked out). Saturn Girl suddenly gasped, making Lightning Lad and the others look at her.

"What's wrong Saturn Girl?" Lightning Lad asked.

"I... I can sense Cosmic Boy, and Cham, but..." her eyes lowered, concentrating. "I can't sense Kari."

Shrinking Violet's eyes widened.

"Oh no," she said.

The other Legionnaires ran to the building that Saturn Girl said they were in. They ran to the bloody room, and saw Kari on the ground, dead. Vi's eyes widened as tears entered her eyes.

"Kari!" she screeched.

She ran to her friend's side and looked her over. Kari was badly cut, bruised, and bloody. Sobs escaped her mouth. The others looked away, some of them trying hard to not cry. Superman closed his eyes, then looked over at the other dead body. His eyes narrowed. This person had caused Kari pain by taking away her family, now taking away her life. His eyes lowered, and he looked back at Kari, with the other three crying. He closed his eyes.

_"Goodbye... Kari,"_ he thought.

To be continued ...

--

Me: Finished with the eighteenth chapter. Sorry if this was a short chapter, I tried to make it longer! ' This is the hardest chapter for me because I wanted the fight to be realistic, and the emotions too. I know some of you are probably mad at me for killing off Kari, but at least she died after she completed her goal. We still have one last chapter to go, and it might be my sadest one yet. (I'm not sure, still thinking of how it's going to be like) I hope you all liked this chapter. Please review and tell me what you think.


	19. Long Live the Legion

Disclaimer: Me: Hi everyone. Here's Chapter Nineteen. This is the last chapter, and I'd like to thank everyone who reviewed. This is probably going to be the shortest one yet, but I still hope you enjoy this chapter, aswell as the fic itself.

Title: Bat of the Future

Author: AnimeGirl 144

Chapter 19: Long Live the Legion

--

The dark, gray clouds hung low over New Gotham's graveyard. All the Legionnaires were standing at the tombstone that was on a lushes hill. Everyone was dress in black, and everyone was sad. On the tombstone were the words: KARI WAYNE.

Alfred damped his eyes with the hankerchief in his hand. He looked to his right to see Violet standing by him. She was terribly sad. Both her friends were gone. In her hands was a white flower. Alfred placed a hand on her shoulder. She looked up at him.

"Miss Salu," he said. "You should start it."

She nodded, and walked over to the gravestone. She stared at it, which underneath it laied her best friend from her childhood.

"When I was little, you were the first one to become my friend. And I sorta looked up to you because of how fearless you were," she said. "And then Lucas died, and it hurt. And now... now you've left me and Alfred."

Her eyes lowered, but she smiled sadly.

"Don't worry Kari, I'll watch over Alfred, and the batcave," she said, her voice lowering as well as her eyes and smile. "Everyone in Gotham's going to miss you. You were their hero to them."

The tombstone she was talking to was silent, but the wind picked up. She smiled a little.

"Hope you're happy now," she said, placing down her flower. "Say hi to Lucas for me."

She said a small pray under her breath, before turning and walking back to her spot next to Alfred. Alfred slowly approached the tombstone where the single flower laied. He smiled at it sadly.

"Miss, I grew up with you. Watching over you, guiding you, and watching you grow from an infante to a young lady," he said. "If your parents could see you now, they'd be proud of you, just like I am."

He placed his flower down.

"Please rest in peace my dear, and don't worry about me," he said. "I will have Miss Salu, and the Legion."

He also said a prayer, before getting back in his spot. The other Legionnaires went up one by one and laied a flower down, saying what they knew of her, say a prayer for her, then walked off back into their spots. The tombstone was flooded with white flowers. Karate Kid walked up, and did a small bow.

"I knew you very little, Batgirl," Karate Kid said. "But you were strong, and during sparring, you were very capable of beating me."

He chuckled, laied the flower down, and said a prayer. It was Cham's turn. He placed the rose down as a tear fell from his eyes.

"I'm going to miss you Kari," he said, trying to wipe away the tears. "I kinda had a crush on you, but I bet you already knew."

The wind blew past him.

"I guess, if we hadn't placed up that Legion web page, you probably wouldn't have been enlisted into the Legion," he said.

The wind blew, then died down a bit. His eyes lowered. He closed his eyes and said a prayer. He walked back to his spot next to his father. The president came out to say goodbye to the girl he had never met, aswell as the President of the United Planet. Though they didn't know the girl, it was still respectful to pay their respects to the girl that helped protect Earth. Superman went up, then Brainy, saying he was going to miss having another intellegent being to talk to. Everyone went up, leaving only one person left, Cosmic Boy.

From his spot, he stared at the tombstone. Lightning Lad placed a hand on his shoulder, but Cosmic said nothing. After sensing he wanted to be alone, the others left, leaving him, the tombstone, the wind, and the clouds that refused to rain. He slowly approached the tombstone. He stared at it, barely able to see the description due to the flowers. He didn't smile.

"Hey," he said.

The wind blew past him. He ignored it.

"When you first joined the Legion, I was... skeptical of you," he said. "You didn't have any powers, and that wasn't really what the Legion was about."

His eyes sadned.

"But you taught me that even without powers, you can be a hero."

The wind died down, satisfied with his answer.

"And even though you were kinda loud," he said. "I grew to respect you. Maybe... even more."

The wind died down even more, to barely a breeze.

"You were right. You reminded me that no matter how powerful we are, we are still need to protect those who sometimes can't," he said.

He closed his eyes.

"You've been through a lot, even bouncing back after fighting against Pane," he said.

He opened his eyes and looked at the tombstone.

"But... when I saw you in that room with blood around you, I grew worried," he said.

The wind quieted down, wanting to hear him.

"You were tough and strong, and I thought you could pull through it," he said. "But you were mortal, as well as me."

"I guess, it was a blow to the heart when you breathed your last breath," he said. "I remember the last words you said, 'Long live the Legion'."

He placed the Legion ring on the top of the tombstone. His eyes lowered.

"I guess, what I'm trying to say is..." his voice dropped incase anyone else was hearing, "I love you."

The wind picked up, but not harshly.

"It was pretty sad, that I couldn't even say that to you before you left," he said. "And now, I guess I won't know your answer at all."

He closed his eyes, said a prayer for her, then placed his flower down. Looking back at the tombstone, he turned and walked to the entrance, guessing some of his friends to be there. As he walked by, he heard a screeching sound above him. He looked up, and saw a bat fly around him. He blinked. The bat landed on his shoulder, pressed it's wet nose against his cheek, before taking off. Cosmic was confused by what the bat was doing, but smiled. He continued walking down the path till he looked at the entrance gate to see Alfred, Cham, Vi, Lightning Lad, Saturn Girl, Superman, and Brainy waiting for him. They looked up at him, as the rain began to fall, and the wind picked up. Cosmic looked up at the clouds, and continued to smile.

_"Kari,"_ he thought, before walking back towards the gate.

Back at the tombstone, surrounded by all the white flowers, laied a beautiful red rose.

--

Me: And... done! That's it with this story. I hope you all liked it. I thought this was an okay chapter, don't you? Thank you to all of you who reviewed. I don't know when I'll be back, because I don't know what to write now. I am literally out of ideas right now! ' Pretty sad. So, until next time! - AnimeGirl 144.


	20. Alternate Ending

Hiya everyone. It's been a long time since I worked on my Bat of the Future fic. I decided to write an alternate ending to this fic because I decided I liked my girl and wanted to give her a more happy ending (and a lot of you were a little upset to see her go). So, here's an alternate ending.

Disclaimer: I own nothing but Kari, and to an extent, the villains. Oh, and the doctor.

Title: Bat of the Future  
Author: AnimeGirl 144  
Chapter 20: Alternate Ending

* * *

The beeping sounds filled the room as machines worked endlessly to keep the patient they were hooked up to alive. Aside from the machines that were alive with beeps, the room was quiet and dark, but the latter was soon interrupted by the door swishing open, allowing light from the hallway to enter. First, a man in a white coat holding a clipboard entered the dark room, activating the lights with the clap of his hands.

Behind the man stepped a much older man in a crisply ironed black suit. The older man hurriedly scurried over to the side of the patient, a much younger girl with purple hair by his side within seconds of entering the room. A peach-skinned teen, just a little younger than the girl, entered and stood by her side. A boy wearing a red cape and a green-skinned boy walked in next, standing on the opposite side of the bed. All eyes, minus the one in the coat, were trained on the lone figure lying in the pure white bed sheets.

Kari Wayne.

While her guests were staring at her, wondering if she'd come out of her coma, the doctor went to checking her systems to make sure she'd be alive. A small smile graced the aging doctor's face after checking everything; she'd live. He felt a pair of eyes on him, and when he turned he saw the only girl awake in the room questioning him with her eyes. With a bemused smile, he nodded his head to the door. She followed him silently.

"How is she Dr. Suiksi?" Violet asked the minute the door closed.

"She'll live," Dr. Suiksi answered with a grin. "Had you not brought her when you did, I doubt we'd be having this conversation."

"When do you think she'll be conscious?" Violet asked, a smile on her face.

"Hard to tell. She's still badly wounded; not enough to kill her, but enough to keep her in her coma for some time," Dr. Suiksi answered.

_"But she's already been in this coma for a week,"_ Violet thought sadly. "Thank you doctor," Violet said with a kind smile. "At least knowing she'll be alive and well makes me feel better."

Dr. Suiksi nodded, "Don't worry, she will. You all may stay an hour more if you wish."

"Thank you doctor, but I've got something else to do," Violet said. _"I've got a bone to pick."_

The good doctor nodded a goodbye to her, turning and heading off to another patient. Violet watched him leave before looking back at the closing door. With a small sigh, she turned and headed down the hall.

Standing outside of the hospital was the Legion of Super Heroes leader and one of the founders, Cosmic Boy. He stood apprehensively in front of the building, unsure of whether to enter like everyone else was or to simply stay put. It was a battle he waged within himself for the last couple days. Taking a deep breath, he puffed up his chest and headed for the doors, but the minute he reached for the handle of the door, an image flashed through his eyes, and it made him freeze, his fingers just inches away from the handle. With a defeated sigh, the leader turned and headed back down the stairs, settling himself on one of the steps with his head in between his hands.

"What do you think you're doing out here, Cosmic Boy?" a voice demanded from behind him.

Cosmic lifted his head and turned over his shoulder, looking at the figure behind him. Shrinking Violet stared down at him with her fists on her hips. Upon seeing her he sent a small glare and turned away from her, resting his crossed arms on his knees.

"I don't want to hear it Vi," Cosmic shot back.

"Don't use that tone with me," Violet said, keeping her narrowed eyes on him. "At least I've gone in and seen her every day she's been in there. You only went in there once, and you barely stayed long."

Even though he had his back turned on her, she was able to tell that he was angry at her comment, but she wasn't going to back down.

"Why won't you go and see her? Dr. Suiksi says she'll live; that she'll be alright," Violet said. "So why won't you see her?"

"I can't Vi. I can't get past the doors," Cosmic said, still not looking at her. _"I can't even get_ to_ the doors."_

Violet, not being able to read his mind, huffed in frustration at his answer.

"That's totally ridiculous! You have to at least see her!" Violet continued, trying to convince Cosmic.

"I can't Vi," he replied crisply, sending a glare over his shoulder. "I just,... I can't."

Violet huffed angrily once more but didn't say a thing. She turned on her heel and headed back towards the hospital, still fuming over what Cosmic Boy had just said. Cosmic Boy listened, and looking over his shoulder, watched her leave. He sighed quietly to himself, feeling a bit ashamed at what had just taken place.

"You feeling okay?" a new voice asked from behind.

Cosmic looked over his shoulder once more, and saw the hero from the past walking towards him, a friendly yet concerned smile on his face. Cosmic didn't answer; instead, he turned and looked forward, away from the Man of Steel. Superman stopped a few feet from the leader.

"Cosmic Boy, are you alright? You've been sitting on these steps for a couple of days now. Why don't you head in? They've got some really comfortable chairs in there." It was Superman's attempt to lighten the mood that had settled around the leader.

"I can't enter that building," Cosmic answered. "Something's,... stopping me."

"Stopping you?" Superman echoed. "Doesn't sound like you to give into something in your way."

Cosmic's eyes averted away from the other hero, not sure how to answer to the Man of Steel's statement. Silence continued to befall them when Superman suddenly tensed, his super-hearing picking on something that was occurring on the 74th level of the building. Cosmic noticed the hero's sudden stiffness.

"What's wrong?" he asked, getting to his feet.

"Something's going on in Kari's room," Superman replied. "Give me a second, and I'll-" He cut himself off when he noticed that Cosmic Boy was no longer in front of him, but was already heading to the hospital's front doors.

Cosmic Boy flew through the hallway of the 74th floor. He had only stopped momentarily at the front desk to find what floor level and room Kari was in. When he discovered the information, he flew to the nearest elevator and used his powers to speed it up. Superman had barely made it into the elevator and was now following Cosmic to Kari's room. Both flew in, the door opening rapidly for them. Cosmic entered with a worried look on his face. The machines were beeping loudly, and Cosmic could hear Violet's and Dr. Suiksi's voice.

"Kari! You shouldn't be moving!"

"You're still hurting, my dear. You need to lie down."

Cosmic watched as Kari slowly sat up in her bed, relaying all her weight onto her arms. He could see them shaking badly, but she didn't give up, and they didn't give out. Her skin wasn't as pale as he last remembered; it looked like it was regaining its color. Dark circles were under her eyes, and she looked tired and worn. Her eyes were scanning everything around her, as if waiting for something that wasn't there. Then, to everyone's shock and worry, her arms gave out and she collapsed back into her bed, falling ungracefully into her sheets. Her eyes closed the exact moment she hit the bed. Dr. Suiksi began to fuss over the machines while Violet tried to check on her friend. It took minutes before the good doctor could calm down both the machines and Violet, who was now demanding to know what had just happened.

"She somehow came out of her coma," Dr. Suiksi began explaining. "But she moved too rapidly for the machines. Her blood pressure was erratic and her bones and joints haven't fully healed. Her body wasn't ready."

"She gave us quite a scare," Superman muttered to himself.

"Will she be alright?" Cosmic asked from his corner.

"Yes, she should be fine, just as long as she doesn't do that too soon," the good doctor answered.

The Legionnaires in the room looked at each other then at their injured teammate. She'd awaken again soon, they all knew. When, they were unsure.

"Cosmic Boy, it is good to see you here," Dr. Suiksi greeted, a warm smile on his face.

Attention was turned to Cosmic Boy, who flushed under their gaze. Violet raised an eyebrow at him, but smiled none-the-less. He closed his eyes and looked at them. He wasn't sure how to answer them, so he instead stayed quiet. His eyes were trained on Kari, who was sleeping peacefully. He decided she looked a lot better than she had when he last saw her.

"She'll be okay?" Cosmic asked.

"Yes. Let her have some more rest and she should wake up with most of her injuries healed. She won't be able to go on duty for a month or so, but she'll be able to hang around the Headquarters."

Knowing this information, knowing she'd be okay, he turned and left without a word.

* * *

Cosmic hadn't visited the hospital in two days, and had no plans of visiting. The other Legionnaires kept him updated on Kari's condition. Cham, Violet, Saturn Girl, and Lightning Lad tried their best to get Cosmic to visit the hospital, but he wouldn't budge. As Cosmic relaxed in the Rec. Room, the alarm sounded, making his head shoot straight to COMPUTO, where Brainy was already working on where the signal was coming from. Downtown New Gotham; Wayne Enterprise Shipping Yards. Cosmic gathered a small team consisting of himself, Phantom Girl, Saturn Girl, Superman, and Bouncing Boy and led them out to the shipping yards. They arrived to find surviving Scavengers ("Grrh! Don't you guys _ever_ give up!" Phantom Girl had growled in frustration). They shot into action, beginning the fight with the villains for trying to steal their friend's items.

As they were battling, one Scavenger was able to get the upper hand on Bouncing Boy, hitting him when he was in his bouncing ball state and making him revert back to normal. As he laid on the ground, a gun pointed at him, a mechanical device suddenly appeared out of nowhere and hit the gun in the Scavenger's hand, making the robber drop the gun. Bouncing Boy looked at the gun and noticed the black device with wide, disbelieved eyes.

"That's,... a batarang," he muttered to himself. "That's _Batgirl's_ batarang."

Another batarang flew out from the shadows and hit the Scavenger in the head, knocking him to the ground. Bouncing Boy stood quickly and grabbed both batarangs, looking at them in surprise.

_"She's here,"_ was his thought before he said it out loud. "Guys! Batgirl's here!"

The Legionnaires looked at their teammate in surprise. Cosmic Boy smacked a metal beam at his Scavenger then landed by Bouncing Boy, looking at him in surprise. Bouncing Boy produced the evidence, making Cosmic's eyes widen in surprise and sudden worry. His eyes began to scan the area around him, but he couldn't find her anywhere in the shadows.

In a room hidden from the warehouse itself was a Scavenger going through the safe which, he hoped, held the money. As he was undoing the combination, a Batarang flew out and almost hit the Scavenger's hand, frightening him. He turned and saw Batgirl standing at the door, her cape covering her up completely.

"Step away from the safe," Batgirl warned.

"B-Batgirl? But I thought-"

"I won't ask this again," Batgirl cut off coldly. "Step away from the safe."

The Scavenger rose to his feet slowly, grabbing hold of his gun and pointing it at Batgirl.

"Not on your life."

He shot at her, thinking that she may still be hurt and slow enough to not dodge it. He was wrong. She jumped out of the way quickly and grabbed three shurikens from her pouch and threw them at him. One of the shurikens hit the gun, sending it out of the Scavenger's hand. The other two pinned the Scavenger into the wall. Batgirl then came up and punched him in the face, making him fall unconscious instantly. She stood before him before grimacing a little and holding her side. Ignoring the pain, she took out the shurikens, placed them away, then grabbed the Scavenger and roughly dragged him out of the room.

"Batgirl! What are you doing here?"

Upon hearing her name, Batgirl stopped and looked at who was calling her. Superman landed beside her, looking concerned.

"Are you alright?" he asked.

"I'm fine Superman," she answered. "And I rounded up the leader here."

"Yeah. We just took care of the rest of them," Superman commented.

"Kari!" Phantom Girl said, suddenly launching at her from nowhere and clinging to the girl in a hug. "How are you?"

"Batgirl," Saturn Girl said, hugging her as well. "It is good to see you. But what are you doing here?"

None of them had noticed the pained look on Batgirl's face. The girls eventually released themselves and listened to Batgirl's explanation of how she got her suit and how she got there. She hid her pain until a pain coming from her ribs made her release a small groan of pain and her hand instantly shooting up to her ribs. Cosmic noticed and touched her shoulder in worry.

"Batgirl... Kari, are you alright?" he asked.

"F-fine. My ribs are just bothering me," she answered, not looking at him.

Cosmic Boy looked at her ribs. Removing her hand, his eyes widened when he saw blood beginning to stain her outfit. Fear was in his eyes as he looked at her wound. Seeing his look, Batgirl placed her hand back on her wound.

"Did he-"

"No, he didn't hit me," she interrupted. "The wound probably opened itself."

"Let's get you to Headquarters'," Cosmic said. "We'll check up on you there."

Batgirl looked at her leader, studying him before nodding.

_"At least it's not at the hospital,"_ she thought to herself.

Her vision began to blur as the area around her spun, making her dizzy. Her vision was beginning to darken, and even she began to feel herself fall into unconsciousness. She could faintly hear Cosmic Boy giving out orders, but she couldn't focus on his voice. The pain, dizziness, and unconsciousness were overpowering her, and finally beat her. Her legs grew heavy and gave out, making her fall toward the ground.

"Batgirl!" Saturn Girl shouted.

She had hopped her shout would make Batgirl realize she was falling and correct her stance, but it didn't work, prompting Cosmic Boy to lunge out and grab her, shouting, "Kari!" He held her bridal style, noticing she was unconscious. She laid motionless in his arms, and the only indicator that she was alive was her chest moving up and down in a rhythmic pattern. Without saying a word, Cosmic flew into the sky, heading for HQ. The other Legionnaires waited for the Science Police before taking off with Batgirl's Batplane.

* * *

Kari felt dizzy and light-headed, but at least the pain was gone. That was the biggest problem. Slowly, she opened her eyes but they closed in protest at the bright light shining down. Once again, and much slower, she reopened her eyes. She immediately took in everything around her. She wasn't in that too white hospital room, but in a room filled with warm colors. It was easily identified as HQ's medbay.

_"Great,"_ she thought. _"Never thought I'd see this place ever again."_

Close her eyes and breathing deeply, she reopened them and tried to get her arms to pull her up off the bed. They were obeying slightly, but fighting her along the way. Pain shot up from her arms to her shoulders then to her spine, making her stop midway, but she didn't fall back on the bed. Biting her bottom lip, she withstood the pain and continued onward, finally sitting up, her arms supporting her. Closing her eyes, she took another steady breath, hearing the door slid open.

"I would tell you to knock that off and lie back down, but I know you'll just ignore me."

"Glad to see you're catching on."

Cosmic Boy shook his head with a sigh, doing his best to fight the smirk his lips wanted to form. He walked over to her side and propped up the pillow. Raising an eyebrow, she laid against the pillow. Cosmic took a step back and looked at her, seeing if he could find any damages on the skin that was revealing. She was still in her Batgirl costume, only minus the cape, cowl, boots, and the top of her bodysuit (they had to cut off the material from her belt up so that they could get take it off; in its place was a black spaghetti-strap shirt, something she wore underneath the suit).

"So, how long have I been out for?" Kari asked.

"After the fight with Jester? A week or so. Scavengers? Two hours," Cosmic responded.

"Two hours? Has the hospital freaked out?" Kari asked nonchalantly, looking herself over.

"Yes. While we were out they contacted us. Brainy had only intercepted the message and relayed it to us by the time we were halfway here," Cosmic said.

"Lazy doctors and nurses," Kari muttered. "Can't even keep an eye on their patients."

"In their defense, you're sneaky," Cosmic said.

"True. So, have you contacted Alfred?"

"Yes, just recently," Cosmic answered. "The hospital had contacted him before they contacted us, and after we were contacted, Alfred called. You're going to give him a heart attack one of these days."

_"I know,"_ she thought to herself. She turned her attention away from him and to the wall to her left.

"It's weird," she said suddenly.

"What is?"

"It's weird to be alive, when I thought I was dead," she commented. "Maybe it's the Batgirl in me that refuses to die."

"Or maybe it's in the Kari in you that refused to die," Cosmic commented.

Kari looked over at him with a very small smile on her face.

"Corny," she said. "Sweet, but corny."

A small sided smirk appeared on his face as he shrugged a little.

"So, when am I going back on duty?" she asked.

"Not until we're sure you'll be fine. Brainy averages a week or so," Cosmic said.

_"So, next mission then,"_ she thought to herself. A sudden sharp pain made her wince. _"Okay. Make that a day."_

"Will you continue to be Batgirl?" Cosmic asked, pulling her out of her thoughts.

"What?" she asked, looking at him.

"Now that you've,... taken your revenge on Jester, will you discontinue being Batgirl?" Cosmic asked.

"I may have taken my revenge on Jester, but I've made a promise to the Legion, New Gotham, and Earth. I won't stop until I'm dead, so to answer your question, no," Kari answered. "Besides, I've been meaning to design a Bat-Hover bike."

A relieved smile appeared on the leader's face, but he hid it as quickly as it came.

"As fun as that sounds, you need to rest. Alfred will be here soon," Cosmic said, turning towards the door.

"Yeah yeah," she said, waving him off.

Cosmic smiled a little before leaving the room. Kari watched him leave before sighing to herself and leaning into her pillow with a content smile on her face.

_"I may not be vengeance. I may not be the knight. But..._

_I am the Legionnaire Batgirl."_

* * *

Me: And, once again, done! I hope it wasn't too bad; it's been nearly two years since I worked on this fanfic. I had originally planned to not kill off Kari, but decided to since the other plan for her was a dud (I had planned to have her to meet descendents of the original Justice League (this included a Superman offspring) but decided against it cause I realized it would take focus off the Legion). So, hopefully this wasn't too bad. Until next time! - AnimeGirl 144.


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